Christmas Idolatree: The Works of Man's Hands

"Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it."
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

I encourage truth-seeking Christians to read the following two articles with the critical mind of Christ, to rightly divide truth from error.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/.../how-december-25.../
http://www.historytoday.com/.../did-romans-invent-christmas

There are 2 problems with these articles.
1. They admit (and provide evidence) that Christians were attempting to "take over" pagan holidays at several points in history, and,
2. That the celebration of Christmas was based on calculated dates that were (a) in error, and (b) arose out of tradition.

What do both of these facts say? Christmas arose out of the works of man's hands; these acts were a vain attempt to date the birth of Christ AND to inject Christ into a common secular/pagan holiday that is seen celebrated as far back as the 7th century BC according to Jeremiah 10 (see "Idolatry and the True Meaning of Worship"). We see Saturnalia really taking off in the 2nd century BC and an attempt by Roman emperors to "get it under control" all the way into the 3rd and 4th centuries AD by instituting the Mithraic Sol Invictus holiday (technically Natalis Invicti): The birth of the unconquerable sun (sound similar to the birth of the King of kings - the Son of God?). Coincidence? Not likely since both of these articles prove through testimonies of early historians that syncretism was occurring and man-made traditions took precedence over early Christian practices. If one looks at how Christmas really came about with thorough diligence and the discernment of the Spirit, these conclusions must be met because they are the truth.

I find it interesting that both of these articles are attempting to justify Christmas yet they fail in their fallacious thinking.

Here is another article that misses the point entirely by saying Christians would have been aware that the date of (roughly) December 25th was associated with Sol by pagans but it meant nothing to them so it was OK.

http://judithweingarten.blogspot.com/2011/12/whose-christmas-is-it-anyway.html

The problem with that should be evident. It is not just what is in your heart that counts. What you think and do must come from the Spirit of God if you want to live in His will. I see no indication anywhere that God endorsed or encouraged us to celebrate Christ's birth, let alone declare our own holiday to commemorate this event. All historical evidence points to Christians insisting on worshiping the way they wanted to. I don't think it is a coincidence that the time of the solstice was chosen to be the birth of Christ. Christ had been associated with the sun in early writings of the Church fathers and even metaphorically in Scriptures, so it may have been easy for Christians to justify a sort of crusade to establish their own holiday at this time of year as a means to become like them to win as many souls to Christ as possible (as some twist 1 Corinthians 9:19-21) and/or to "reclaim" the solstice which was created by God to begin with, a moot argument when you consider God never instituted or hinted at any desire for us to do so. It's not a stretch to see that Christians justified syncretism and this should definitely raise many a red flag in the hearts of His disciples.

Some examples showing the connection of Christmas to Yuletide are in the carols you hear absolutely everywhere in December. "Deck the Halls" came from a 16th century Welsh song called "Nos Galan" honoring the tradition called Calennig where children rose early in the morning to sing carols to neighbors for food and ale on New Year's Day. The lyrics, rewritten in 1862, describe the Welsh holiday very well yet it is distinctly meant to illustrate Christmas in both Great Britain and the United States.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!'
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fill the meadcup (honey wine), drain the barrel,
Troul the ancient Christmas (or in some versions, Yuletide) carol (there is no "ancient" Christmas carol, but there is for Yule).
See the flowing bowl before us,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Follow me in merry measure,
While I sing of beauty's treasure,
Fast away the old year passes,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses!
Laughing, quaffing all together,
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

If you research the Germanic holiday of Yule and compare it to Jeremiah 10 you will see striking similarities indicating where its traditions came from. It's not hard to draw connections all the way back to Assyria, Babylon and Egypt. Yule was the basis for our modern version of Christmas as we can hear in many Christmas songs, including the Christian ones, singing about "Yuletide" as well as all the symbols that go along with it, ie; lights (usually candles), wreaths of evergreen branches (evergreens are a symbol of life in the midst of the dead of winter), holly and mistletoe (the berries are Celtic and Germanic symbols of fertility).

Let's take a look at the lyrics for "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas":

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light
From now on our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, make the Yuletide gay
From now on our troubles will be miles away

Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more
Through the years we all will be together if the fates allow
Hang a shining star above the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now

This is clearly religious wording referring to to the ancient pagan traditions. There is no mistake about it. Hanging a star high is not a reference to the Bethlehem star. It is a reference to enlightenment and pride a la Luciferianism. Please don't justify this by saying Christ told us to hang our lamps high for all to see. This was a metaphor for our faith, which is founded on the truth of the Gospel. The Gospel message has little to do with the birth of Christ and much more to do with His death, which is an illustration of our path to salvation: Dying to self and the world while living for God and His truth.

Please don't take this to mean I think we can simply take the pagan elements out of Christmas and it is then OK. If you look at the modern history of Christmas you will see that it experienced a resurgence at the demands of people who wanted a secular holiday at this particular time of year. Christ was an addendum to a secular festival just as He was in the 3-5th centuries.

Christmas was further embraced and expanded in-between 1840 (when the Prince Albert married Victoria of England, bringing his German winter traditions with him) and the 1860's beyond. This happened because business men wanted to take advantage of a large emerging market arising out of mainstream demand. It is obvious that the holiday season has it's roots planted firmly in a fleshly, materialistic mindset. The winter solstice has always been a time of year focused on the flesh. It is telling that all the livestock in far northern cultures were slaughtered to provide an abundance on meat through the winter, which of course was necessary, however these pagans ritualized this practice as they did most things. It is also telling that September is the month that has the most births. Count back 9 months. Now, I'm sure it was just another typical thing for people to do at this time of year. They didn't have to work the fields. They were inside trying to stay warm. It's understandable that more mating would take place. However, knowing what I know about paganism, it revolves around the union of two opposites. In this case, at the time of year where the sun is deep within the "womb" of the dark so too did the pagans ritualize their religious concepts. Pagans are no strangers to sexual rites. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why children are the center of attention at Christmas.

I would posit that if you choose to celebrate the birth of Christ why not celebrate it aside from "Christmas" and remove your worship completely away from the traditions of men so as to not resemble the world? Ask yourself, "Why do I need a holiday at all for this?" Now, I understand that it is rather nice and convenient to have a time of year when people can take time off of work and share in the pleasures of life. This I am not condemning. I simply want to alert people to why they should not associate with the works of darkness, to participate in the "reason for the season" rhetoric, to profane your worship and mix the holy with the profane. By all means, enjoy your time off work. Spend time with loved ones! But please, reconsider celebrating "Christmas" or "Hanukkah" or "Yule" or "the Holidays". The enemy wants to deceive you by dooping you into mixing worship with the things of the world. It's not difficult to see why the Puritans wanted nothing to do with this holiday. Come out of Babylon.

This was just a brief overview of a few specific points about the origins of Christmas. There is much more to talked about in regards to the symbolism and practices that have been adopted over the centuries but it is important not to get caught up in trying to point out the symbolism as much as it is important to note that this holiday is not of God, period. It doesn't please Him.

Removing the High Places

It's that time of year again where you can't go to a store without hearing Christmas music and having people tell you, "Merry Christmas!" I hardly know how to respond. In most cases I just say thank you and move on. I think that says enough for most passing situations. I'm not saying "Merry Christmas" back but acknowledging their desire to wish me well. I was considering creating a tract to pass out to people for this very reason. As it stands though I have higher priorities at the moment. I felt it necessary to share the truth about Christmas with those in prison who might not have access to such information and may need help or encouragement to seek the Lord in prayer with the right questions. So I have opted to send out "Removing the High Places" from the Heart4God.ws website.

Our ColorQube printer has been acting up and I'm not sure why. It keeps jamming and printing gunk all over the newsletters. I'm trying some troubleshooting options such as cleaning the drum, switching paper types and keeping the paper stored in an air-tight container to avoid humidity in the air. Right now I've managed to print about 100 or so out of 147 who have not yet received this teaching. I suppose it will have to do for now. I want this mailing to go out tomorrow so it might be received before December 24th. Time is of the essence. I trust that through prayer and diligence I can get to the bottom of this problem and get back onto a regular schedule. I'm hoping I can fix this problem myself without having to call out a technician. Your prayers are much appreciated.

The Merchants of the Earth Will Weep and Mourn

It can be frustrating and sometimes difficult to keep myself in check when I encounter so much incompetence in the retail shopping world. People are always trying to pull one over on you it seems and then cover their tracks with excuses. Can't you just be reasonable and honest?

I went to VisionWorks in WR to get new glasses, spent $600 on two pair and have been back 4 times to try and fix them. The service there is lackluster in the sense that they are, on the surface, trying to appear like they want to help but it is apparent they don't really care all that much. I've heard that they have so many remakes for glasses that it's just commonplace for them. I imagine the employees' only way to get over this is to not go out of their way unless someone insists.

I went to dinner at Greek Village last night. It's usually an excellent experience. This time, however, the owner wasn't there and I got the sense that they weren't concerned about good service. They served me my dinner cold 3 times in a row. The 4th time they brought it out, after microwaving it repeatedly, they mashed it down and served it smoking hot. Then they proceeded to overcharge me for it. When I worked in restaurants a customer that had a less-than-smooth dining experience would be offered some sort of compensation, like not being charged or making it right in some way. Not this time. Not only did they overcharge me but they left it up to me to tell them I didn't think I should have to pay for it. Now, I will remember that next time I want to eat there and will probably go somewhere else out of embarrassment and doubt whether it will be a good dining experience.

I ordered a cacao "plant" (described as a seedling and a plant) on Etsy. You would expect an actual plant, right? Like, something with ROOTS? Nope. Just a cutting wrapped in tin foil with some coco peat for $18.

More and more I'm finding that if you want quality you have to go out of your way to make sure you get it. Professional service and excellence in business are falling by the wayside. These virtues have been in decline for a long time. There is little-to-no integrity or passion in business anymore, except for in marketing. To make sure you are getting what you expect you have to be one of "those guys" who does lots of research first and asks a whole lot of questions. Even then there are still no guarantees.

First world problems, yes, but it is ridiculous that this happens so often. I actually despise that term, "first world problems." Why? Because I live in the first world. If I lived in a third world country I'd have different expectations, right? We created this system because we wanted things to be better yet now we have people that justify the festering slack by saying, "Just be patient and deal with it. Chill man." With that attitude we can expect the customer shopping experience to only get worse. In all reality though, the Bible does say that Babylon will be destroyed. Perhaps it's best not to expect too much. After all, God is not concerned so much with our physical comfort as our spiritual growth. If we are to be patient and "deal with it," let us at least do it for the right reasons.

"All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy through the extravagance of her luxury... In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: 'Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.' And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because there is no one left to buy their cargo — cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory and precious wood, of bronze, iron, and marble;" Revelation 18

It is good to remember that this present world is passing away and all things will be created anew. Even so I still wrestle with the problems we face now - the hypocrisy, the laziness, the selfishness, the deception... If we can't be faithful to the truth in the things we have created by our own hands then it is apparent that we cannot govern ourselves without God's indwelling Spirit. Perhaps this is what it means to "come out of her My people." Don't expect this beast system to give all it says it will. Read the writing on the wall. These are the signs of the times.

"MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN."

Psalm 110 Unveiled

The LORD (Yahweh) said to my Lord (Yahshua),
“Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your *footstool*
(see Revelation 14:19 - the winepress is tread by the feet of many in joyous shouting - Revelation 16:6-8).” 
The Lord shall send the *rod* (Revelation 2:26-28, 12:5, 19:15 - a consistent message throughout Revelation) of Your strength out of Zion.
Rule in the midst of Your enemies (Revelation 18:5-7)! 
Your people shall be *volunteers* (free will offering, to be done by the leading of the Spirit, not out of compulsion of guilt or fear like Saul, and at the place where God appoints.)
In the day of Your power;
In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning (morning star? Here is a great clue as to who the morning stars are and the rod of iron - Revelation 22:16, Job 38:7, Isaiah 14:12, 2 Peter 1:19, Revelation 2:28 Read these carefully and hear what the Spirit says to the churches),
You have the dew of Your youth.
The LORD has sworn
And will not relent,
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek (the ancient priest of Salem, meaning peace by recompense, appointed by Yahweh according to his faith - zedek means righteousness and the sons of Zadok, as seen in David's time, the priesthood who superseded the Levitical priesthood by quality of service - and further seen in Ezekiel 44 as those who are given access to Yahweh's most holy things).”
The Lord is at Your right hand (God is your will to act);
He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.
He shall judge among the nations,
He shall fill the places with dead bodies,
He shall execute the heads of many countries.
He shall drink of the brook by the wayside;
Therefore He shall lift up the head (Rosh, a foreign nation, as shaken, like the poisonous, intoxicating poppy).

The Abomination of Desolation is the Mark of the Beast

Have you ever noticed that there is a correlation between the abomination of desolation and the mark of the beast? I was reading in a blog written by Joseph Herrin the following statement:

"Satan is the adversary of God, and as Yahweh’s adversary he continually seeks to lead mankind into rebellion against God, and to defile everything that God calls holy. Satan is angry at the fact that God cast him out of heaven when he attempted to make himself like the Most High. He is filled with violence toward Yahweh, and is enraged with a bitter hatred of God. Satan disagrees with the judgment of Yahweh in casting him out of heaven and therefore he seeks to inflict every offense toward God that he can imagine. One such way that he seeks to offend God is by defiling those things that Yahweh has declared to be holy."

This got me thinking about the abomination of desolation which stands in the temple of God proclaiming to be God. Since we know the temple of God is not a temple made with human hands and that we as Christians are the temple then we must ask ourselves whether this abomination has set itself up within our hearts and defiled our bodies. I know it can be easy to overlook all the overwhelming input we receive from the world and miss what we are feeding on. Something is bound to sneak in. That is exactly what has happened over the course of time. Desolation has crept into our hearts through enticement and slow compromise of our faith. We tend to justify that which we desire. For example, most Christians cite 1 Corinthians 8 in defense of their idolatrous behavior.

1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.
4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.
9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

The problem with using this passage to justify partaking in things of this world that are defiled is that we take into ourselves unknowingly the things which defile us. This passage is talking about God-given food that has been sacrificed to another god, yet it can be applied to other areas of life if we discern the depth and height of the meaning in order to arrive at the truth. If we fail in this we open ourselves up to idolatry in our hearts. As I've discussed many times on this blog, idolatry is far more than what is portrayed in the old testament as carving a figure and bowing down or praying to it. The New Testament defines idolatry as anything arising from the human heart and the works of man's hands that causes you to stumble into sinful desire and thus distracts you from the truth in God. Is this not what He meant by, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods?" Covetousness IS idolatry. Why do you think people offered their children to Marduk? They wanted prosperity. Why do you think Lot's wife looked longingly back at Sodom and Gomorrah?

I was traveling in my friend's truck a couple of weeks ago and we pulled up next to an expensive, new shiny vehicle that he really liked. He and the driver were commenting on how awesome it was and how they would like to have one. I made the comment, "Let's not covet now." My friend's reply was, "I'm not coveting, I'm just trying to figure out how to get one of my own."

Stop and think about what it means to covet. Most people think it is directly trying to take what is your neighbor's. They give no thought to the error in thinking, "Since my neighbor has that thing and now I want it then I should have one too." Some would call this good economics, even progress. I call it Mammon, and I think Christ would too.

If you are distracted by such things as the perceived progress of establishing yourself in this life then you are not able to focus on seeking Him with all your heart. This is why Paul warned of marriage. You would be more concerned about how to please your wife than God. The same with your children, and you career, community... soon your life takes over and you have no time for studying the Bible and seeking Him. The truth is not easy to understand or accept. It comes at a great cost. Make no mistake beloved, this world IS CORRUPTED on all fronts. It has been that way since the fall in the garden of Eden. Under this present sun nothing will change that. God has decreed that a New Heaven and Earth will be necessary and that we should be storing up our treasures in Heaven. We are sojourners here because of the fallen state of this world. That is why we are discouraged from debt and covenant relationships in the Bible. That is not to say we sin by doing these things because certainly God intended for some of these things to be a part of our lives (like marriage), however, they are corrupted and the only way out of this corruption is by letting Christ be your life.

This is also the essence of the subject at hand: The abomination of desolation is the mark of the beast. This is not to say that there will not be some physical expression of these things as spoken of by interpreters of prophecy. However, I'm trying to show how it is far more important to be proactively prepared now, spiritually, and guarded against the seeds that will bring about the fulfillment of such a prophecy. By then it will be too late because Satan is bringing the mark about by deception. You won't even know you've taken it unless you are spiritually prepared to avoid it. Remember, the Israelites had no idea why God was punishing them. Neither does the church. So you must take heed to the warning to come out of Babylon NOW. Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's. See the distinction there? Christ was telling us that this physical life revolves around the traditions of idolatrous hearts. We must recognize that and place Yahweh first. Then all the things we need to operate in this world will be provided for us, but not that we are setting up our own kingdom or empire, rather we are building God's kingdom in the hearts of those who are being called out of this beast system. That is our calling. I hope that you hear it because all of what you are building will be shaken. Examine your life to determine what will be standing when God is finished with you. Just like the temple was destroyed and no stone was left on top of one another, and just as Christ's body was broken, so too will the temple of His body be broken again, the church. Yet Yahweh will take a rib from the second Adam's body to form His bride. I aspire to be one of the remnant overcomers who sit with Him on His throne and have access to His most holy things. Don't you?

Picking Sides in Battles

Be careful about picking sides in a physical battle. Yes, indeed this is true. What we hear in the news is not "real news." What is being perpetrated by the ruling class is sheer wickedness. Yet, it is not a physical battle we fight. We fight for the souls of people who are being dragged down into Sheol through deception and conflict. It is called the Hegelian dialectic, a term not more than a couple of centuries old yet a method that has been used for millennia. It is one of the primary tools in the shed of the "artist of war" against Yahweh and His plan to bring righteousness to the heart of man.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

However we are right to support and defend the widow, the alien, the poor and the fatherless right? Maybe not by bombing whole cities and killing endless innocent people (I would argue Christians shouldn't be killing people at all). This is what they claim they are doing but we know better. This is what is really going on:

"Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then it was well. Is not that what it means to know Me?" Declares Yahweh. "But your eyes and your heart are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, and on shedding innocent blood and on practicing oppression and extortion."
Jeremiah 22:16

In Revelation 18 it says:

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, *My people*, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and *repay her double according to her works*; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

He did just say, "My people...repay her double according to her works." There will be a time when God raises up His overcomers and they will reign as His rod of iron. Here is the patience and faith of the saints.

Christian Perfection - A response to Oswald Chambers

A friend shared this devotional on Facebook today. I read it and immediately felt the Spirit urging me that this is in error. Like most teachings there is truth but it must be divided from the error.

https://utmost.org/christian-perfection/

After reading this do you sense something is wrong or does the elegant arrangement of words just ring in your ears without cause for question or alarm? I encourage you to take some time to think critically about what is said and reflect on what the whole Bible says. After all, only one Scripture is quoted in his devotional, and half a verse at that.

So now for my thoughts. Many Scriptures came to mind that prove the error and I intend to show how there are many exhortations in the Bible telling us God wants us to be perfect by seeking Him with all we are (this latter part of the point is at least made well in this blog but a half truth is no truth at all). Let us press on to prove or disprove every sentiment.

Oswald says, "If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life."

Well, let's see what the Bible says about holiness, our call to perfection, our fruits and where personal initiative comes in. Of course I couldn't possibly fit every verse about these subject in one blog, so it is your duty to seek out more if the Spirit of truth leads you to.

Therefore you shall be perfect (*ie; completely matured, consummated unto the end result*), just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48

"Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." Leviticus 19:2

"You shall be blameless before the LORD your God." Deuteronomy 18:13

Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us ***cleanse ourselves*** from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
(See here that there is effort on our part. It is not all on God.)

Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, 2and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

...so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world... Philippians 2:15

"They have acted corruptly toward Him, They are not His children, because of their defect; But are a perverse and crooked generation." Deuteronomy 32:5

Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and whose wife Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord. Luke 1:5-6

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been perfected, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view. And if you think differently about some issue, God will reveal this to you as well. Nevertheless, **we must live up to what we have already attained**. Philippians 3:12-15

We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. Colossians 1:28

Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4

Of course we have forgiveness of our sins but remember:

Therefore, whoever knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin. James 4:17

...whatever is not of faith is sin. Romans 14:23

If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consume all adversaries. Hebrews 10:26-27

If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through their knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and turned away from the holy commandment passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.” 2 Peter 2:20-22

Also, I disagree that we should not be caught up with looking for evidence of God in our lives. There is much emphasis placed on the fruits we bear and the rewards that they earn us if they are judged righteous. Make no mistake, we will all be judged according to what we do. Of course what we do must be the fruit of the Spirit and in this we *know* Him (have intimacy with).

So we aspire to please Him, whether we are here in this body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad. Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well. 2 Corinthians 5:9-11

For the Son of Man will come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done. Matthew 16:27

And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, For You recompense a man according to his work. Psalm 62:12
(recompense is the meaning of the word Jerusalem - to recompense and bring to a place of peace - Revelation says the unrighteous will be repaid double for their iniquities before being brought to holiness - this is the refiner's fire)

***If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?*** Proverbs 24:12
(Israel didn't know they were doing wrong! Neither does the church.)

The LORD of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; Jeremiah 32:19

Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out--those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 5:29-30

But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Luke 14:14

That last verse contains some very deep, revealing truths about God's plans, which He has prophesied in Scriptures by holy men who were inspired by the Spirit.

"God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase..." 

Is this true? God's trophy mantle is not our trophy mantle. He clearly has a "trophy mantle" though, as seen with all the jewels and crowns that adorn His bride in Revelation. She is on display showing God's righteousness. Even Lucifer was covered with jewels and he was at one time the anointed cherub that covers. He doesn't have that any more because he is fallen. That is why in Revelation it says, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen!" and "Come out of her my people..." Love covers a multitude of sins but it does not mean we should be lazy in seeking out and confronting sin in our lives and even others to a degree.  I understand what Oswald means by not being Pharisaic in that we put our righteousness on our own trophy mantle because then, "surely you have our reward." However let us be diligent in recognizing our need to come to Him, to cry out to Him, to seek Him WITH ALL OUR HEART, MIND, SOUL, AND STRENGTH. Let us not be lazy with the words He has spoken Himself and through His prophets and saints. Father, grant us a greater measure of faith and desire for wisdom and understanding that can only come from You. This I petition You for these things and it is in You I hope. Amen.

The Grace and Mercy of God

I recently entered into discussion with a brother in Christ from my church regarding grace and mercy. Upon asking the question, "Would you rather be under God's mercy or under His grace?" he replied, "It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed Lam 3:22 . So his mercy spares us in order that he might shew unto us the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. So I am thankful both are mine through Christ Jesus."

This is true, and yet I felt there was a need to explain where I was coming from with that question. I asked him if I could enter into open discussion because I thought there was a lot more to it. He responded, "I agree there is much more in fact the apostle Paul uses the term the unsearchable riches of Christ."

I was a little concerned that it could be taken that because Christ gives us grace and mercy that we don't need to search out the deep things of God, beyond  the basic, simple message that is preached in pulpits almost ad nauseam. Paul said, "Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits."

An example of this would be the word "eternal" above. The Greek text is "aionian" and an in-depth word study is warranted here. I suggest using the NIDNTTE since Strong's is a bit limited in its explanation. I will simplify for you though. It means "age-long," "age enduring" with the idea that one is experiencing incomprehensible finite time. Eternity is expressed as an image of God's eternal nature, a parabolic representation experienced by those who know Him and are near to Him. It is present now and into the future for an unknowable amount of time, or an age. This has a significant impact on one's understanding of God's plan of salvation and His promise of inheritance in the New Heaven and New Earth. There are many teachings that could be branched off from here but suffice to say this is just a small example of the diligence required of a disciple to seek out the truth. There is more beneath the surface and so we must rightly divide the truth and "chew the cud" so-to-speak.

So when we speak of mercy and grace what can we glean from Scriptures and how might we apply that to our walk of faith? I was pondering the difference between the two. One is greater, that is grace. When mercy is needed we fall short of His full favor. Although He gives us grace even in our iniquity He desires not the need to have mercy on us but to make us prosper first in His Spirit now and second in the future promise. So we have rightly divided that there is the prerequisite work of the Spirit now which leads us to the fulfillment of His promise in the future. I'd like to now address the verse my friend cited to clarify further how the Spirit works in His children to raise us up into sons and daughter of inheritance.

"It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed." Lam 3:22

What does "consumed" mean. We know that our God is a consuming fire, as Hebrews 12 states, and that this is because all that is not of God must be burned away as both heaven and earth are shaken. In His mercy He allows us to partake of things that are not ordained by His Spirit, things that are of this world, but also things that *were* of Him but now have become corrupted with human thinking and traditions. I have been shown that the works of man's hands are evident throughout all of the world.  He desires His children to remove themselves from these things, to be detached from all their desires but One. In this way they are purely devoted to His promise which is realized, consummated, *in* us by Christ Yahshua at the end of this age.

And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him. I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed *in* us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God. Romans 8:17-19

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:4

The refiner's fire is an illustration of what it means to suffer with Him. The work of the Spirit is to lead us into truth so that we hang our lamps high for all who enter to see. This is not easy nor is it comfortable, but we have peace knowing it is true and right.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? Hewbrews 12:5-7

Now there is a distinction made between those who follow the Spirit into suffering for His name sake and those who follow Him with a divided heart. We see this in the parable of the 10 virgins where the 5 foolish ones were caught by surprise, being left out in the dark behind the closed door to the wedding of the Bridegroom. We see the same in the servants who were given talents. The servant given only one went and buried his and was chastened. His talent was taken away and given to the one who brought much increase. We see it in the parable of the servants who were left in charge of the master's house. When some fell asleep and were not aware of the master's return they received few stripes, and yet others who were given to licentiousness were given many stripes.

A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully, And will share in the inheritance among brothers. The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts. Proverbs 17:3

Look to Ezekiel 44 as an example of how the house of God has servants in the outer court who do not have access to God's most holy things, nor can they minister before Him. The priesthood can come in and out of the Holy Place, and have access to His most holy things. Those in the outer court are the spiritual milkers, as Paul might call them - those who are not spiritual (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). Yes, Paul calls those who do not grow in the deep things of God infants who are not spiritual. God wants us to be raised up into sons and daughters of inheritance, but if anyone would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of his God, by all means, they have that choice. Consider though the following passages knowing that the church is doing many of the things Israel did but in deceptively different ways. The scary thing is they don't even know they are doing anything wrong.

"Now when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, 'For what reason has the LORD declared all this great calamity against us? And what is our iniquity, or what is our sin which we have committed against the LORD our God?' Jeremiah 16:10

"What will you say when He appoints over you-- And you yourself had taught them-- Former companions to be head over you? Will not pangs take hold of you Like a woman in childbirth? If you say in your heart, 'Why have these things happened to me?' Because of the magnitude of your iniquity your skirts have been removed and your heels have been exposed." Jeremiah 13:21

The children of Israel were harlots and they didn't even know it! They didn't even think they were doing anything wrong when they erected a golden calf and declared a feast day unto the Lord. Today idolatry is much more than a molded calf. It is the works of man's hands that are filthy rags to Him. Our deeds are as dung if they are not His explicit command. The church is just as taken by the world today as Israel was back then. Our idols seem to be good things but our desires for them separate us from God, but He will refine us.

"Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are the dross of silver." Ezekiel 22:18

"But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness." Malachi 3:2-3

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be *saved, yet so as through fire*. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

The ax lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:10-12

The wheat is the church in the outer court that must be threshed (with few or many stripes?), winnowed, ground and baked into show bread. Who does this? The God-elected priesthood who will teach them the difference between the holy and the profane. (Ezekiel 44:23) They must do this continually from Sabbath to Sabbath (Sabbath rest is being in His will at all times, ceasing from your own works as God did).

Yet even this being the case the priesthood is not made perfect aside from the offerings, which are their reasonable service.

Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2

And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Hebrews 11:39-40

There are many things Christians do thinking they are serving God properly in this life when I know by the Spirit that these things are holding them back from spiritual growth.  Good things can be idols, especially when we don't recognize the signs of the times to know what we should do (1 Chronicles 12:32). The testimony of Yahshua is the spirit of prophesy and much as been declared in Yahweh's Word. Christ knew how to reach into a person's soul and expose their greatest hindrance from true faith, but they had to first come to Him and ask how they might be saved. His mouth is a sword that can piece even to the division of the soul and spirit. He always told those coming to Him to forsake something that they held more dear than Him. Today it might be debt, pagan holidays like Christmas and Easter, careers, even family can be an idol because we believe it is our duty to go into the world and provide for them the best life they can have, as Lot took his family into Sodom and Gomorrah only to see his wife look longingly back at that wicked place for want of the life they built and his daughters who later laid with him because they were scared of not finding husbands.

2 Thessalonians 2:10 says we need to receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. Our hearts are wicked and deceitful above all things. Men and women have convinced themselves through vain tradition that what they are doing is OK with God, yet they don't seek the truth with all they are in prayer and brokenness and like good Bereans search daily whether these things are true. I have proclaimed many things that are challenging to my brothers and sisters yet there are few who are actually seeking out whether what I have said is true or not. On the other hand, others have presented me their views and I have searched out the truth almost every time. I cannot say that it is bad that so many have closed ears because it is up to God to open hearts. It is my job to scatter seeds and to create disciples of those who show signs of growth.

I am prone to deceiving myself just like any other so I'm not proclaiming to have overcome, but I aspire to be an overcomer who rules and reigns with Him, who inherits the kingdom through His Son. It takes more than what we see in churches today. We need to pay attention to prophesies. We must speak God's language, which is parabolic, for Christ never spoke anything that wasn't a parable. His disciples understood because they had ears to hear. I pray that anyone reading this might hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Amen.

...to preach to the Gentiles the *unsearchable* riches of Christ, (*let us continue the context of the thought...*) and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery, which for ages past was hidden in God, who created all things. His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence. Ephesians 3

I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints, to whom God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:25-27

If all we are to do is simple then why all the exhortations to dig and search out the truth?
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is *unsearchable*. Proverbs 25:2-3

His grace is to provide us what we need to grow in His Spirit, in knowledge of Him so that we may have intimacy with Him. Often times that means walking away from the things we have attached ourselves to in the world, to "fast and pray." Sometimes it means giving these things up entirely. If we have truly died to ourselves so that Christ may live in us then we can bear His fruits. So His mercy is an extension of His desire to give us His grace. His mercy is meant to reconcile us to Him and sometimes that means giving us over to the idols in our hearts, or given over to Satan for sifting.

"Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols." Ezekiel 14:2-4

Father, let us not be given to our own stubborn ways to pursue our inheritance before the appointed time. Let us have the patience and faith to hear what the Spirit says to the churches at this late hour. Help us see the idols in our hearts and lives so we can turn to You for purity and truth. Amen.

Destroy those who attack Israel?

Nation will rise against nation. It has always been God's method to use the unrighteous to judge the wicked who call themselves by His name. The State of Israel is not innocent, nor performing the will of God, so the nations come against them as prophesied.

"Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds." Jeremiah 4:4

"Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised." Jeremiah 9:25

But He will not make a complete end of them.

"But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD," declares the Lord GOD, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight." Ezekiel 36

"There you will remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil things that you have done. "Then you will know that I am the LORD when I have dealt with you for My name's sake, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD.'" Ez 20

"You have not heard, you have not known. Even from long ago your ear has not been open, Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously; And you have been called a rebel from birth. "For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another. Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last." Isaiah 48

And so God will command His people, the true remnant overcomers...

Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues. For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup."

Notice this verse is a command to His people. "Her" is referring to the Harlot, Babylon who rides the beast on many waters and deceives the nations by her sorcery. Who is the harlot? Answer that and you will have much perspective. This is a subject of it's own. For now let's focus back on Israel.

Look at those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead. I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I love you. Because you have kept My command to endure with patience, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Rev 3

I know your affliction and your poverty — though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. Rev 2

In the end the result is...

"And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo." Zech 12

"For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes. I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations. O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, And my refuge in the day of distress, To You the nations will come From the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, Futility and things of no profit." Jeremiah 16

It is not that we should have rote support for Israel because Scripture tells us not to come against them but to discern the signs of the times and act accordingly. To do this we must bathe in Scripture, remain in prayer and be filld always with the leading of the Spirit. After all...

Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. Galatians 4

and

For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who walk by this rule, even to the Israel of God. Galatian 6

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. Rev 21

Christ is the second Adam, and His bride is formed from a remnant of His body (the church) just as Eve was formed from Adam's rib. Let those who have ears to hear...

See Rev 12:12-14 where the previously unbelieving Jews who become believers are grafted back in to the tree of life to join with the currently believing Jews and "gentile" believers. So "all of Israel will be saved."

A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Rom 2:29