The Cost of the Disciple's Cross

How do I KNOW that I would give my life for Him? I can talk all I want but there comes a time I have to prove to myself that I'm not just speaking empty words. I don't need to prove it to Him or anyone else. *I* need to know that I'm sincere. If He said to give it all up for Him then that is what I must do to know there is nothing holding me back from true faith.

Do I value acceptance & praise from men, friendship, family, community, money, hobbies, dreams, desires, ambitions, love of a good fight, ANYTHING more than Him? There's only one way to find out. Die to self and go only where He calls. How do I know when He calls if I'm anchored by my own desires and the life I've built? How do I distinguish His voice from the clamor of society rattling around in the shadows of my mind? From my own inward self talk? It takes more than The Bible. It takes a life-long search for the truth. It takes more than prayer. It takes actually looking and listening for God's response.

I've been led into a sort of "wilderness" experience where I'm alone with my thoughts a lot. It is absolutely crazy how much self talk goes on in my mind. I believe God led me here to get me away from many of the distractions of life and to focus on hearing Him more in my heart. A wilderness experience will challenge a person in ways they never even thought about. God has revealed character flaws that reach deep into my soul. I must stand strong for Him through these mostly inward trials. I'm facing my own sins and purging my soul so that I can draw nearer to Him and hear His whisper in my ear.

When Yahshua was baptized the first thing He did was go into the wilderness TO BE TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL. He immediately entered into arguably the greatest trial of His life up to that point. The devil offered Him the world for His worship but He was not deceived. He had the Spirit and knew His Father well enough to resist all of His desires from the most basic to the most viciously compelling - from wanting to eat to wanting the world. Think about it. He didn't eat for 40 days and 40 nights. That is literally facing death. Only by the grace of God would He be able to survive that. So how much have I resisted my own desires trusting in God's grace? Have I truly died to myself and laid it all on Him?

For He was indeed crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. And though we are weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him to serve you. 2 Corinthians 13:4

Once Christ succeeded through His trial He immediately began His ministry. But He first needed to be tested. Without the test and the grade there is no proof of understanding. Although I believe that Christ would have succeeded anyway I also believe He went through all of this as an example to show us what must be done in order to take up our cross. Let us look to His example and apply it to our lives.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you — unless you actually fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21

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. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:1-3

Consider this today as you sit in Easter service surrounded by people professing the name of Christ. Ask yourself how many are really serving Him. Do not exclude yourself. Ask yourself why you are sitting there. Ask yourself if you have really examined your faith. If you look hard enough with the eyes God has given you, perhaps you will start to understand how He feels about your "Easter" worship. Perhaps you will see that this holiday does not bring glory to His name. After all, it is named after a pagan goddess.

Gardening Parables for the Kingdom of God

All of creation is a parable of God's truth. Someone said recently that a minister should address others like a gardener handles their garden - that plants take great care and careful handling. This is true. But their point was misguided. A good gardener doesn't wimpishly handle plants all the time. There are many vigorous and dynamic actions that must be taken quite often for the sake of the crop. Many gardeners will tell you not to be too shy about handling your plants.

There are many types of plants grown for food, some planted in the ground and some in containers, as well as many other variations of these two including aquaponics, hydroponics... Each one has their own set of methods for handling plant-specific needs.

For example, in a ground garden, first you have to till the ground really well, which is hard work and at first destructive. You gotta break up your fallow ground so it can be sown. EDIT: I just heard of No Dig gardening which carries a lot of godly implications. Check this movie out.) If you want less weeds you might need to lay down something that will smother out everything that grows for a couple of months. You may even need to mulch after planting later (Please DO NOT USE ROUNDUP!). Then you have to germinate seeds under just the right conditions. Some seeds require freezing first, some require the hulls to be pulled off in order to be able to grow, some require only planting and waiting. Then once a seed has sprouted you usually need to do very little. Just give it the proper space and conditions to grow and let it do its thing for a while. When it is rooting and is beginning to grow more rapidly you must begin feeding it the proper fertilizer. Each plant requires a different kind of fertilizer and feeding regiment. For fruiting plants you need to give them more nitrogen at first to spark vegetative growth so that they can bear much fruit. Then you must monitor and prune them in order to make sure their fruits set in the best places. This ensures the fruits are the best quality they can be at the sacrifice of smaller "sucker" branches that zap plant energy and take away from overall yield. Once the plant is in the flowering phase you need to switch to a blooming phosphorus fertilizer. All this needs to be done before you even see any fruits appear.

There are first fruits on most flowering plants that can bear large fruits if left on the plant to ripen. These usually emerge from the central axial stem. But these flowers generally are cut off on many fruit-bearing plants because they will delay the formation of and reduce the energy devoted to secondary flowers that will set on the successive branches. That is where the most uniform fruits come from. Some plants require caging or staking. Others require topping so they bush out. Some you can plant and let grow without much work at all.

We can see that raising a garden of different crops requires much hard work, training and discernment. It is not a matter of just sitting back and letting them grow wildly. That would not be a very productive garden. Nor is it a rote set of simple methods for every plant. And it is not a good idea to go willy-nilly all over the place with a bunch of different experimental methods (unless it is an experimental project ;) For most gardens with the goal of being as productive as possible the gardener must know the plant, what it needs and how best to accommodate those needs with the tools he has or can acquire.

Let us not be lazy gardeners, but learn to focus our efforts in the right places by the leading of God's Spirit, who leads us into all truth. Let us till when we need to till the ground to set a foundation for our garden. Let us know what kinds of seeds we are dealing with and do what needs to be done so they can sprout. Let us gently raise our sprouts in the proper care. Let us know when to fertilize our starts, and when to prune them as they take off in growth so they can focus their energy in the right places. Let us know when to switch to a blooming fertilizer. Let us monitor for pests and weeds and not spray them with harsh chemicals that will later be ingested. Let us know when the fruits are ripe for the picking.

The earth is nearly ripe for the harvest. Summer is near. The marriage supper of the Lamb approaches. Those who have accepted the invitation and have overcome the world will have the privilege of being at the supper where Lamb is served as the main course, bread to sop the juices and wine to wash it down. Each of the ingredients for that meal requires a lot of tilling, pruning, harvesting. threshing, winnowing, grinding, treading, pressing, slaughtering, cooking and, most importantly, praying. Do not be deceived. There is much work to do and it is not always comfortable and easy. Prepare yourselves all ye faithful.

Considering God's Natural Law - Why Moses permitted divorce

Jesus answered, “It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but it was not this way from the beginning.
Matthew 19:8

I've been studying this verse from a greater perspective than merely the subject of divorce. It carries a profound implication. What Christ is saying here is that laws choose to litigate matters towards the lesser of evils but His teaching here is to stick to the ideal that is within God's ultimate design. Anything less is compromise. He directs us back to the garden of Eden before the fall, where things were as intended: perfect in His plan. We can see glimpses of this in Isaiah and Revelation and as a promise to the whole world. His good and faithful servants will be raised up at the last trumpet to rule and reign so that full restoration to the perfected state of the garden may occur in the hearts of men and subsequently be honored in physical expression.

And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11

He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.
Isaiah 25:8

They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD-- Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life will be like a watered garden, And they will never languish again.
Jeremiah 31:12

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. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
Revelation 21

But first my friends... the shaking...

At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven as well.” The words, “Once more,” signify the removal of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that the unshakable may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:26-28

REFUTING "Tetragrammaton - The Most Sacred Knowledge On Our Planet - Nassim Haremin"

So many misconceptions, fallacies and holes in this guy's theories I don't know where to begin.

No אֶת־לֻחֹ֣ת does not mean a glistening gemstone. It means a polished surface as in a table. Tablet is the best rendering and is consistent with the rest of Scriptures. To try and say that the Israelites stole Egyptian technology and that was the source of their power is highly problematic conjecture with little ground to stand on. Also, all of creation consists of parables that declare the glory of Yahweh. Let us not worship the creation over the Creator. Let us not try to degrade the Creator down to our level of understanding in order to rise to His height by vain works. Yahweh told Manoah in Judges 13, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding (secret, wonderful, awesome, incomprehensible, hidden...)." The power is not in the name. It is in works performed by FAITH. And there is only One author of true faith, Yahshua Christ, by which we have access to the Father who revealed Himself to us as YHWH. These teachings are Luciferian, new age, theosophical, hermetic, neoplatonic, Qabbalistic, Freemasonic, mystery Babylon garbage. We only see all these mystical connections throughout ancient religions because they all stem from the same branch of evil that started after Cane was expelled from the garden. Mathematics and science are ways to see the structure of the creation. They are not the power of the Creator. The more we try to become our own gods the worse we will make things for ourselves. This is not progressive. It is digressive, just as man has been on a downward spiral since the fall attempting to regain what was lost. Kind Solomon, whom many occultists apparently admire (probably for the wrong reasons), stated in Ecclesiastes, "Vanity, vanity... All is vanity."

Following the Spirit - To Act or Not to Act? Judge or Not Judge?

A large part of being a follower of Christ is appealing in humble spirit to those in need, not to enforce tyrannical dogma. For the law never made anyone righteous and works against the Spirit. We live by the Spirit, not the letter. Each of us must follow the Spirit as God allows us to. That is not to place all the responsibility on God, for we have our part. But in all honesty, there IS a time to judge, a time to exhort, a time to rebuke and a time to walk away. It is all at His leading, for each of us must learn to hear the voice of God and follow.

God not only reached out to me in the darkest hour of my life but He allowed me to walk into that dark place to begin with. He brought me to my knees to show me the truth, many times, and His righteous, fiery judgment showed me the error of my ways over and over again until I finally got it. He gave me ears to hear when I needed it most. He chose me out of the muck and raised me from the death I so longed for. So I have mercy on those I see walking in unrighteousness but it does not mean I embrace them at every turn. Again, it is at the leading of the Spirit we must do all things. God often leads us to places we'd never presuppose or expect in our doctrinal beliefs, and He challenges us to see beyond our limited scope of perception in order to learn how to serve Him. For this reason I take the supposed "contradictions" of The Bible in this light. I ask God in every situation (hopefully!), "How should I proceed? Whip the moneychangers, call out the hypocrites, appeal in all gentleness, remain silent or shake the dust from my sandals?" All are viable options used and exemplified by God Himself. The challenge for us is to choose wisely which one applies to any given circumstance. Our decisions are a reflection of our spiritual maturity and if we are to grow from children to heirs of God then we must have spiritual maturity. This comes only from constant training by the Spirit of truth and the exercising of  the truth in love.

One of the most common arguments I hear against pointing out error in others is, "Only Jesus knows the heart of another person" and "Judge not lest you be judged yourself." It is not true that only Jesus knows the heart of a person. Scripture states, "From the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks," (Luke 6:45) and therefore our words and actions reveal what is in our hearts, ie; you will know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:15-20). We can know what a person's heart is but we can't always see how God is working in that person's life (unless we are given ears to hear and eyes to see). So we must be sensitive to where other people are in their walk in order to best serve them. But it does not mean we do not use our judgment. Mercy and grace are just as important as judgment, for without judgment we can easily lose sight of the whole truth. The truth is this: If you are following the Spirit your fruits will indicate it. If the Spirit is not convicting you then what does that mean about your committment? Are you lukewarm in your faith? Is that why you can't claim the power of Christ in you and have the hope of glory to overcome?

In my experience, once I received the Holy Spirit I didn't want to do anything that would potentially offend God, and I listened (and still listen) diligently for His voice and His leading. In my walk of faith I have seen that evidence of the Spirit is in the fruit. And that fruit does not always taste sweet to others. In fact, in The Bible it says that the fruits of the Spirit will be rejected and hated by the world as well as those who bear them (John 15:18-19, Matthew 10:22, 24:9, 1 John 3:13). Do not think for a moment that the world has not influenced the church. Modern Christianity has taken leaps and bounds straight into apostasy, and I don't just mean megachurches. I mean even most of the little churches who have not been diligent to maintain proper doctrine, nor have listened to the voice of God over the traditions of men. There are many who know what I am talking about. They sense there is something wrong in the church program but maybe can't quite put their finger on it. Well this is probably because the Spirit is working in them to expose the error of modernized Christianity.

Our culture is force-feeding a philosophy of tolerance. Is this too not tyranny or oppression by coersion and peer pressure? God wants us to have discernment according to His Spirit - to raise us up to be righteous sons and daughters - for us to grow in our knowledge of Him. In order to do this we must be able to recognize unrighteousness and address it appropriately in our lives and in the lives of others. To say that we should not judge others because we can't know their heart is a cop-out and fuels the fire of moral relativity. It fans the flame of blasphemy and false doctrines. And it sets in stone the hearts of men who refuse to receive the love of the truth so as to be saved (2 thesalonians 2:10). Part of the job of the ekklesia is to keep each other in check - to exhort, edify, encourage and if needed rebuke and separate from wickedness. Let us not give in to the milieu of mass hysteria proclaiming that everyone should give up their freedom of speech in order to avoid offending someone. We all have the God-given right and responsibility to work together to share the truth God has given to us - to hang our light high for all to see who enter in. For in the light all thoughts and deeds are shown in their true colors (John 3:20-21, Ephesians 5:11-13). In addition to this it is wise to always be open to being proven wrong, to have humility and not believe you have the whole truth in view, for getting to know God is an endeavor without foreseeable end. Hopefully in doing this we will arrive at greater spiritual understanding, and our sons will grow into tall oak trees, and our daughters into bright flowers.

The Reason for the Season

People say that "Jesus is the reason for the Season." Actually, Baal is the reason for the season if we want to get technical about it, "season" being the Christmas holiday honoring the winter solstice and the rebirth of the sun god Mithras, Apollo (or whichever pagan deity was created by the works of man's hands to worship the creation rather than the Creator), not the Son of God who was and still is used merely as a symbol to syncretize with pagan sun worship. The Universal ie; Catholic Church adopted this aim after Constantine, who was mostly concerned with complete ecumenicism for the sake gaining power by creating unity (just like Babylon). Of course this is apostasy.

Although on the other hand one could argue that Christ Yahshua did make winter time as well as the day we call Dec 25th so if we worship Him on that day it would be best to be sure we are honoring Him in the manner He wants to be honored and not the way the pagans do ie; Saturnalia, Sol Invictus, etc, etc. Cutting down and decorating trees in our homes, putting lights and candles everywhere, gift-giving, holly wreaths, yule logs, ham... all are practices arising from Babylonian, Egyptian and Druidic sun and Saturn worship centered around Baal, Tammuz, Semiramis, Nimrod, Osiris, Isis, Horus... certainly not customs commanded by the Almighty. So a wise person must ask themselves: shall I declare a feast day unto the Lord, erect a golden calf or cut down a tree from the forest and fashion it with my own hands to worship how I feel? Should I encourage others to do so by participating in such practices?

Prometheus bringing fire from heaven down to earth

For example, the garland around the Christmas tree is the serpent (or caduceus) encircling the phallus of Baal ie; the Hindu yogic kundalini, Qabbalistic or Druidic tree of life, leading to the star or "angel of light" (Lucifer who disguises himself as - 2 Corinthians 11:14) at the top which is enlightenment, or the fire of knowledge (tree of knowledge of good and evil, aka: the Akashic temple of reperfected Adamic man), which Prometheus stole from heaven to bring to mankind against the will of Zeus (much like Satan did with the Christ). There are many parallels in pagan beliefs to Christianity, and many twisted truths which must be unraveled. But it seems that Yahweh gives this knowledge and ability only to whom He wants to. No one can attain to the truth by his own works, yet one must still seek Him with all his heart in hopes that He will reveal Himself in whatever capacity can be handled. This is the death of the self and resurrection to life in Christ.

But to many pagans the tree is used as a symbol of resurrection in more ways than one. The holly wreath represents the holy grail or the circle of infinite possibilities (the female genital and womb) that is open to receive the gift of light the tree (phallus) brings to the void within it, giving rise to the ultimate act of creation on earth by man. The holly berries are symbols of fertility. These phallic and yonic symbols are absolutely everywhere if you learn to recognize them. Yes, even your Christmas decorations, Disney and Hollywood movies (note: Holly. Wood. They didn't pick that name just because it rolls off the tongue. What is Harry Potter's wand made out of? Disney says, "When you wish upon a star" at the Magic Kingdom. Do you see the sorcery yet?). Even the image above has two phallic symbols. Can you guess what the second is? Hint: it's right behind the Christmas tree. Also notice how the wreaths at Christmas are always much smaller than the tree. Can you guess what that means? One might conclude that this is a symbol of ritual pedophilia. The most evil satanists out there have an affinity for children. As sick as it sounds consider how many children go missing every year and are never found. Approximately 2000 PER DAY in the USA alone. Also think about how much sexual abuse happens to children and youth today. The trauma that puts a person through at a young age has a profound effect on their psychological development and their adult behavior. The beast nature can really get a hold on the young, especially troubled teenagers. The evil that is implanted in them can grow into something they have little to no control over. This is how Monarch mind control works and it is not only used behind closed doors under the shadows of secret societies. It has been pushed out onto the general public in subtle, symbolic ways for millennia, and it has only grown exponentially in the last 200 years with the advancement of technology. This is the satanic agenda: to deceive a large part of the world into accepting evil as good. That includes those who choose to fight fire with fire. These will perish by fire. It is the enemy's plan to steal, kill and destroy by appealing to your fleshly nature, in whatever way he can, to distract you away from God and set you against your neighbor. Even those who think they are fighting for good are doing evil. It's a very cunning plan Satan has devised against every human being. 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)

I believe it is very important to know the tactics of the enemy to avoid his subconscious manipulation and to become aware of how to separate one's self and family from such evils. Gird up the loins of your mind and put on the full armor of God. You are smack dab in the middle of ground zero of a massive spiritual war. Your only defense is the power which Christ Yahshua gives you to stand strong in the midst of the storm. Come out her my people and touch not the unclean thing (Revelation 18:4).

What I find interesting is that the month of September is traditionally the month with the greatest number of birthdays, particularly Sept 16th which would make the most common day of conception on or around December 24th. So in essence, as with most pagan customs, this is a sexual rite based on the concept of duality, where light and dark are in constant ebb and flow, creating balance and imbalance in all of creation. It is an expression of the ultimate creative energy of man and woman as yin and yang. But duality is not where our worship and focus should be. It should be on the One, Christ Yahshua, who will finish the work of reconciliation back to the Infinite Zero of Eternity, Father Yahweh. This is a truth that is well supported by The Bible if one has eyes to see yet one that is not taught by modern churches. True wisdom and knowledge has not been accepted by the masses of professing Christians. This was prophesied long ago by the prophets of old and by the Word of God at the foundation of the earth. A vast majority of creation will fall away from Him before all will be reconciled. Most people will have to walk through the fires of judgment before they realize and accept the truth.

Now there are those who will insist that there is nothing wrong with Christmas, even after confronted with a mountain of evidence proving it is wickedness in disguise. They will say it's fun, brings together family and loved ones to share a meal and exchange gifts and great food... what's wrong with that? Nothing in that sentence per se. But consider the following:

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Matthew 7:22

Because they did not repent of the works of their own hands... to receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. Revelation 9:20, 2 Thessalonians 2:10

Their land has also been filled with silver and gold And there is no end to their treasures; Their land has also been filled with horses And there is no end to their chariots. Their land has also been filled with idols; They worship the work of their hands, That which their fingers have made.
Isaiah 2:8

The idols of the nations are but silver and gold, The work of man's hands.
Psalm 135:15

Notice that idolatry is almost always accompanied by "the works of their own hands" and worship is not always literally bowing down to something recognizing it as a literal "god" but rather admiring something that is not ordained by God which you have made and presenting it as something that exalts God, like Cane's offering or the golden calf at Mt. Sinai, or even literally gold and silver as currency, diamonds and gems or things that sparkle and mesmerize or make you feel good. Sound familiar? Read my last post, "Idolatry and the True Meaning of Worship" for more info if you want to dig deeper into the non-sexual side of idolatry.

Father Yahweh has been showing me a lot about how great an influence sexuality has over virtually every decision we make. This is a subject that reaches far and wide into life on this planet, so much so that it may even seem natural to think liberally about sex. This preoccupation has reached the core of our very beings and we must confront it if we are to enter the kingdom of God. I sincerely hope this isn't too much information but this knowledge is available to anyone willing to do the research. I encourage you not to take my word for it and look into it yourself in prayer with the Spirit of truth. May Yahweh bless you with wisdom and peace in your heart as well as strength to rightly divide the truth and stand on the solid Rock of faith.

Idolatry and the True Meaning of Worship

To better understand idolatry and the true meaning of worship let us examine an important Bible passage to shed light on the matter.

Isaiah 44:9-20 (ESV)
All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.

The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”

They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

In this passage it is easy to take the carnal view and say that idolatry is literally bowing down to a physical object but to the spiritually discerning there is far more to be gleaned. The key to understanding the spiritual message behind this passage is in the action words and the mental state of the person spoken about. This is a battle for the soul. The Greek word translated into "soul" in The Bible is "psyche." The battle for the soul takes place in the mind. That which has a hold on your mind will manifest in the flesh in either a direct or indirect form. Christ Yahshua speaks of this in the book of Matthew:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Matthew 5:27-29 (BSB)

What Yahshua is speaking of here is the mental state of the person and how it influences his actions or behavior. He isn't saying to literally gouge out your eye. What he means is if you are lusting in your mind based on what you see then cut your mind off from that which you see. Sever the lust. However we must be ever diligent in discerning just how our subconscious life influences our conscious life for it is not always so cut-and-dry. It is not always an obvious cause-and-effect reaction. What we feed ourselves with spiritually, be it movies, music, holidays or traditions, these things effect us sometimes in unpredictable or unseen ways. And sometimes these effects can seem quite normal, especially if we have become used to seeing them in our peers.

Don’t learn the way of the nations...For the customs of the peoples are vanity.
Jeremiah 10:2-3 (WEB)

We must be aware of what we are participating in at all times. Our discernment cap must be on every waking and sleeping moment. Put on the FULL armor of God and don't ever take it off. The spiritual battle does not cease even when you close your eyes. You are not safe from evil influence even in the company of loved ones (especially so).

Another Scripture that explains the nature of idolatry, one that is often quoted as speaking of a Christmas tree, is Jeremiah 10. This passage is NOT specifically referring to a Christmas tree but rather the practice of shaping a tree into the shape of a man and bowing down to it. I will agree that it sounds like a "Christmas" tree but spiritual discernment is required to grasp its full meaning. If taken in the light of what was discussed above one can see that it is not necessarily the literal act that the focus of this chapter is set on but rather the heart of the matter, an affinity for the works of man, which gives rise to all sorts of idolatrous practices. Idolatry is essentially cutting one's self off from godliness (like the tree) and erecting himself as ruler of his life (in your own "house" instead of the house of God). It is this desire for control that pulls one away from godliness and often leads to the desire to control not only one's own life but the lives of others as well. Similarly, and what we see happening more and more these days, is the worship of the creation over the Creator. It is nothing new. Since the beginning of paganism people have worshiped mankind in terms of humanitarianism, technical progress, the planet we live on, what it provides and its processes, and the universe we reside within including the sun, which supplies the light necessary for life, and the stars, which give us a view into the mysteries of the cosmos. This is really another form of man-centered worship. We strive to rise above the heights of the clouds, to explore the heavens with our own contrived methods of power in the form of science and technology. Isaiah 14 and Romans 1 speak of this:

"How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! "But you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'"

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions...And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind...proud...undiscerning...that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them."

Godliness comes only from God. Yahweh is the provider of spiritual life and no one gets it unless they come to Him by His Son. He is in control and we must surrender to Him in order to find true fulfillment and liberty by His infinite power. All other paths lead to enslavement and spiritual death no matter how much they are wrapped up in pretty packages to look like freedom, for our powers are severely limited, even collectively. No matter how pleasurable or convincing the things of the world are, do not be deceived. Herein lies the next greatest downfall of man aside from the desire for universal domination: the desire for complete comfort and pleasure at all times - the very peak of lustful pride. In this desire we find many traditions of men abounding in the world, traditions that often times look godly but indeed have a sinister underbelly.

In looking closer at the passage in Isaiah we can find this same meaning. "All who fashion idols and the things they delight in..." This is speaking of the works of one's own hands to bring pleasure and satisfaction instead of looking to God for provision. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes, "Vanity...all is vanity."

"The craftsman are only human." This means that the works of man's hands are far less than what God can create and provide. Our hands and actions need to be guided by God if we are to achieve anything worthwhile. "He fashions it with his strong arm..." that is his right arm (a symbol of strength to be executed in physical form - which is seen in the mark of the beast "...on their right hand or on their foreheads"). Likewise, the mark in the forehead is the state of the soul, or psyche ie; the seat of the mind - one's character, judgment, emotions and desires. When one gives into their own lusts and desires he becomes a slave to them. He essentially "falls down" to them as idols not only in mind but in body. The fall rests solely in the choice to disobey the voice of God, either by being deceived to follow another voice (that may sound like God) or through laziness or conscious free will.

Furthermore, it is apparent that giving thanks and praise to the One True God who DID provide the rain for the tree to grow, the animal to live that is given for meat, and the grain for making bread, is not even considered in the mind of the person described in the Isaiah passage. And he doesn't ASK God how this provision should be used either. Instead he warms himself and says, "Aha! I am warm and have seen the fire...Deliver me, for you are my god!" One does not have to literally declare a log or a tree to be their god in order for it to be so. It is the spirit of self-satisfaction that becomes the idol which can come from or manifest into physical form though a person's actions, eventually becoming a practice and finally a habit. Anything that is revered enough, showed enough attention and made a focal point of one's life lends itself to becoming an idol. So how much do you consider what God is trying to say to you? Once a day in prayer? Once a week in church? Whenever it occurs to you? Or do you make it a priority to seek Him always? Has seeking God in your life become a habit?

Consider further what this man said: "Aha!" meaning a declaration of revelation, "I have seen the fire!" meaning he has become enlightened by his works, taking the greatest advantage over his given situation. He reveres himself essentially thinking, "Look what I've done!" Lucifer, similarly associated with Prometheus in Greek mythology, stole the fire of knowledge from heaven and brought it to the earth to free mankind from the slavery of Yahweh. He supposedly rebelled against a tyrant God at his own expense for the sake of mankind, whom he felt compassion for, so that we could rise to our full potential through the application of knowledge and skill. This is the lie that was perpetrated in the garden of Eden.

"...but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:3-5

Notice in Jeremiah 10 that the craftsman shapes the tree into an image of a man. This is very symbolic and also connected to the mark of the beast ("for it is the number of man" - not "a man" if you look at the Greek - however it still carries the same spiritual meaning either way because the beast is clearly defined as a congregation of world powers, not a single man). This means that what he is really worshiping is not a god, but himself (through his craftiness) and mankind (through symbolism). He is paying homage to man. This is exactly what the beast in Revelation does when it unites all of mankind under the banner of humanism through a world-wide governmental system, or as it is called today, the New World Order. It does so by lying and deceiving every walk of life away from true worship of Yahweh through His Way, which is the narrow path of self sacrifice to the truth in love shown us in the life and testimony of Yahshua. His example and testimony have been lived out in numerous prophets and saints throughout history.

We can see the worship of man through works is prevalent in all of the most commonly accepted belief systems of today. Satanism, New Age, Atheism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Catholicism... If the people of the world let themselves compromise the truth for unity this will lead to spiritual separation. The Spirit IS truth. And God IS love. The two cannot be separated. Followers of THE Christ must pursue truth in love until it is realized in all of us by the working of His power or we are weeded out of society by those who reject His Way. Merging beliefs from different sources to form our own concept of truth does not bring unity but slavery. It creates division from God and servitude to the ruler of this world. The unity that is promoted on a mass scale today is not the truth of God but the lie of the devil. Our individuality does not come from our own cocktail of beliefs nor the way we dress up our bodies but from the diversity of gifts God bestows on us. It is how we use those gifts in a manner pleasing to Him that shows our true individual beauty in its fullest potential. This is the gift of real liberty, not the liberty proclaimed by any constitution or treaty but the freedom that comes from above within the unity of faith. Unity is Yahweh's desire for us. True unity into His will is going bring about the reconciliation of all things to the Son, and eventually to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:20-28, Colossians 1:15-23). The process for reconciliation to the Son has already begun. He is returning soon to reign with His firstfruit overcomers.

So brothers and sisters, I beseech you to not worship yourself, nor mankind, nor worship God in a manner that is pleasing to you. Yahweh does not consider that worship at all. If you are not honoring Father Yahweh in Yahshua's name by listening for His voice and looking for His hand to move in your life to guide you, then please consider whether you are even on the right track. Is there anything standing in your way of full devotion to Father Yahweh?

In looking at some of the concepts discussed in this blog, have any of these philosophies worked their way into your heart and home? They can certainly be sneaky and downright chameleon-like. It is not always easy to see that you have been deceived, either by yourself or others. But the more you seek the truth and train yourself to recognize the methods of the enemy the more able you are to discern error and temptation when it comes slithering. Remember, the greatest lies are half truths. Be careful what you believe. Test the spirits. Gird up the loins of your mind to prove the perfect and acceptable will of God. Satan does not always conquer by force. He wants you to ask for him to corrupt you by lying his way into your life through coercion, temptation, distraction, indoctrination - usually using subtle (and not-so-subtle) techniques. He has chosen to wage his war with covert attacks fought in a symbolic battlefield executed slowly over time rather than all at once, so as to remain hidden to his enemy. Followers of Christ are under attack by an enemy that is often difficult to see, hiding in the brush, like a lion ready to pounce on his prey.

Think about these things as you are decorating your Christmas tree this year. Think about the pagan Yule log, which is the first half of the tree that is burned in the fire (that is if you have a fireplace). Think about the second half of the tree which is fixed into place in your home as a focal point of the holiday. Think about the exciting materialism of buying presents for one another (like in the ancient Roman holiday, Saturnalia), wrapping them in enticing paper and bows and placing them under a lighted, sparkling, dazzling, tree with an "angel of light" (or a star of enlightenment) propped up on the top (a symbol of sun worship). By the way, Yahweh warned us not to make engraved images of anything on heaven or on earth many times. He told us what images to use in the temple, ie; angels, pomegranates, palms, etc. These are God-ordained images meant to communicate a message to us. When we create our own images and associations we profane them and we begin to walk down the path of idolatry. Remember, it is the works of man's hands that He despises. He wants to guide and direct us so we grow in His image. Let us not be prodigal sons.

Also, as a side note, think about what you have to do to get those presents: kneel or bow down before the tree (OK I know this isn't a literal act of worship but it is weird right?). Are these things becoming of a disciple of Christ? Does He approve? Even if, somehow, I could justify this mountain of evidence showing pagan connections to Christmas would I be willing put my soul on the line just to keep this holiday? It's risky at best from where I'm standing.

The Rockefeller Christmas tree with Prometheus bringing light down from heaven to mankind.
What an amazing gift to put under the idolatree!

Now, I don't believe that gift giving in and of itself is evil but what I'm suggesting is a more holistic view of the Christmas holiday and what it really means deep in your heart, as well as the practices that surround this very obviously pagan holiday that doesn't really pay any respect to what Christ Yahshua taught. I propose to you that you cannot put Christ into a Mass He wasn't in to begin with and never sanctioned. It is 100% apostasy - Full-on syncretism mixing the holy with the profane, which is unacceptable to God. But if you insist on propping up that fir realize that at the top is the "morning" star of enlightenment, or the "angel of light", which is Lucifer (a name meaning "bringer of light" or "light bearer.").

"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:14

The 10 Commandments warn us to not make an image in the likeness of anything in heaven and bow down to it (ie; to fall prey to your own desires, whether they are to belong, to be warm and comfortable, to share something nice with loved ones in the name of tradition without first discerning truth from error). There is a teaching called the prosperity doctrine that purports God will bless His children in abundance in this earthly life if we simply be good and ask. This is error. God clearly chastises those He loves and challenges us to overcome the passions and desires of the flesh in order to grow spiritually. But modern Christianity has bought into the idea that our salvation begins in THIS life, and the evidence of it is prosperity and long life. This is not always the case, for Christ prayed, "Give us this day our DAILY bread." Those who cannot accept chastisement from the Lord and deny themselves are not worthy to enter the Kingdom of God. He has in the past given those who do not recognize this to their own wicked ways, their own reprobate minds, to be consumed in the fires of vanity.

Vanity of vanities. All is vanity. "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

That is not to say He does not bless His children, or even non-believers abundantly. He gives as He chooses. I cannot set any limits on His willingness to be a provider nor will I presume to be legalistic about what one has acquired in their life. But what I can do is use my God-given discernment to speak what He has put in my heart in love to those whom He has given ears to hear. From there all I can do is pray that person has tended their soil and will receive the water of life He pours out freely. Far too many Christians today are misled in believing God is a vending machine who wants to give you everything you want because you proclaimed His Son's name. Do not take His name in vain for many will come to Him on that day saying, "Lord! Lord!" But He will say, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity." Just as the craftsman in Isaiah who didn't ask how God's provision should be used, many Christians use their gifts and do what they want without first seeking God's leading. They do not discern enough, to think critically enough to hear His voice warning them of offense. Likewise, in Jeremiah 16:10 it says:

“And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the Lord pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Because your fathers have forsaken Me,’ says the Lord; ‘they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them, and have forsaken Me and not kept My law. And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me."

"You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.” He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the commandment of God to maintain your own tradition."
Mark 7:8-9

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
2 Corinthians 6:14

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.
Ephesians 5:5-7

"I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies."
Amos 5:21

If Christmas is a Christian holiday then why is it celebrated by everyone, even unbelievers? Is this not evidence of Christian syncretism by partaking of worldly traditions? If the whole world is enamored with this holiday and it arose out of the world, then is it not a worldly practice? How then can one expect God to respect your decision to honor His Son's birthday (which by the way has been proven to not be at this time of year)? Ask yourself also, if celebrating Yahshua's birthday was important to Yahweh would He have not told us when it is? Certainly it is not on the day of the winter solstice, the very day that pagan religions throughout millennia have worshiped the sun, saturn and many different gods. If you truly want to honor Christ on this day, have nothing to do with "Christmas." Make it simply a day to praise, honor and worship Him without all the highly questionable, man-made traditions, just like any other day. And please don't cite Romans as evidence against what I'm saying. I implore those who use that book as a shield to justify their decisions to do as they please to read it very carefully and consider it in context of the rest of The Bible. You will see that Paul is not saying it is OK to do whatever you want as long as your heart is in the right place. What you do does not always match what is in your heart, and quite often will unwittingly produce an effect on your way of thinking. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

If you are still doubtful about what I've said here consider looking up the history of Baal worship, the Queen of heaven, the legend of Semiramis and Nimrod, the story of Isis, Osiris and Horus and how these myths relate to Christmas and Easter. You may be surprised at what you find. And you may just see how these myths from ancient mystery religions have infiltrated almost every aspect of our modern culture from movies, music and even to the very heart of Christian faith. May our Father in Heaven grant you wisdom and understanding to discern the signs of the times we live in.