Featured Holy week

NO!!! TOO MUCH LOGIC!!! :thumbsup:

 

Many of our given names are pagan. This is not problematic. It is the use of the symbols and names of pagan gods in our worship which is a problem. Given names and names of months and days are not used in a religous sense. It is the keeping of days, and weeks and months and years as "holy days" which is unscriptural.

Jesus told us to remember His Death, no other remembrance is recorded outside the "holy fathers". Note: one of the primary issues at the Council of Nicea was setting the dating of Easter. This is an interesting dilemma: trying to reckon astrology with more than one calendar and the Invictus of Sol.

This is all pagan hocus pocus folks from the gitgo, and remains so, even without eggs and bunnies.

"What fellowship does righteousness have with unrighteousness?"

Re: Christ's Mass-- was also banned in England by Oliver Cromwell about the same time frame as the Puritans in Boston. There are Baptist churches in the USA which do not celebrate Easter or Christmas in a religious sense--as a matter of conscience. You can usually tell them by the absence of wreaths on their meeting house doors around Dec. 25. The wreath symbol is as pagan as ever.

My take on salaried people in a worship setting: compare a service with an unsalaried pastor and an unsalaried song director leading a congregation in acapella praise and worship to a modern staff, orchestrated choir, singing Christian rock and/or gospel depending on which service. I forgot: in a church with an LLC charter.

Where is our candlestick? Hidden behind the snaredrums? Check with the sellers of bushelbaskets. Jesus is outside our church doors--knocking, wanting to get back in--will we let Him? Is He tangled in the wreath?

"Judgement must begin in the House of God."

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Bro. James

 

I am not the one to judge. The judgement will come at Bema Seat at the burning of the wood, hay and stubble.

I am trying to point out that much of what we do as Christians is mired in pagan idolatry, much of which is assimulated from the apostates sanctioned by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century. He was also the one who called the Council of Nicea. Constantine was a pagan probably through his deathbed. His religious progeny remain in Rome and Constantinople. The daughters are scattered around the globe.

Many New Testament churches have become conformed to the world, in an effort to win souls. Now we have worldly, unregenerated, repeat after me, church members, even in leadership positions. Many would-be converts go for the warm and fuzzy feelings without conviction and repentance. This is not true salvation of The Lord. They eventually are converted or fall away.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Peace,

Bro. James

 

Ditto THAT!

Bro.James...From a STRICTLY Biblical standpoint I find myself in almost complete agreement with the stance you take on the afore-mentioned matters. If one is honest (and trying to see things through a Biblical "prism") then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to discern the effects this pagan world has had on our local New Testament churches (and many times, us as individuals) today. As predicted, we are, in general, a lukewarm Laodicean bunch just as the Word of God predicted we'd be in danger of becoming. I'm trying to NOT be in that number but it is becoming increasingly difficult to guard against the tug of this world. I pray I won't be like the "frog in the pot" that boils to death while he is lulled into a slumber. I'm not trying to stay saved ( I know I will be) but I am trying, by God's grace to STAY AWAKE. I did fall away once for an extended period of years that I deeply regret now and the cost was HIGH (God knows:tear.....but God was and is merciful and longsuffering so PRAISE His holy Name! Keep on standing for the Lord bro. James....you'll never have to apologize to God for doing THAT!

Bro.Greg:saint:

 

Actually from a STRICTLY BIBLICAL STANDPOINT, it is contra-scriptural to condemn someone for observing Christmas or easter:

Romans 6:5-6a...5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord.

If I decide that every 2nd tuesday of every other month, I'm going to thank God for sending his son to be incarnated as a man, It is not a sin.

If I decide that once a year on Dec. 25 that I'm going to gather with other Christians and thank God for sending his son to be incarnated as a man, it's not a sin.

It is unscriptural (see Romans 6 above) to call something sinful and evil that scripture explicitly says is OK.


I DO think we will have to give an account to God for calling something sinful that God has allowed. It denies the sufficiency of scripture, as if there are things God forgot to tell us not to do...

 

Lent and KJV translator

Dorman noted that KJV translator Lancelot Andrewes “depicted Lent as that precious time given for making a reckoning of our lives and, accordingly, for making our amends by repentance--and afterwards by fasting, prayer, and almsgiving” (Andrewes, p. 45). Brightman referred to Andrewes' "strict observance of Lent and Embertides and the other fasts" (Private Devotions, p. xlv).

The 1611 edition of the KJV included a page that listed "lessons proper for Holy Days." The 1611 edition had a page that listed "These to be observed for Holy Days, and none other."

The KJV was the third official English translation for use in the Church of England. All the translators of the KJV were members of the Church of England, and they followed its religious practices, some of which were kept from Roman Catholicism.

 

The Romans address should be 14:5. Whatever this scripture is teaching must harmonize with what Paul wrote to the Galatians, 4:9, "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10, Ye observe days, and months, and times and years. 11, I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."

In recent years there has been a revival of Christians observing Shabbat and other Jewish observances with the idea that such is the scriptural thing to do. Worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth seems be a lost notion. See Romans Ch. 8.

Sorry if reproving, rebuking and exhorting with all longsuffering and doctrine is perceived as judgemental condemnation. That is not the intention.

Peace,

Bro. James




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The real witness to the world is the transformation of the life of those saved by grace through faith. It is a 24-7 holiness at home, work and play. The world sees the difference and will watch closely. The churches are overfilled with Sunday Christians. Some of the lost will be convinced and repent, turning to God. Others do not believe. These things happen everyday and anyday God chooses for His will and good purpose and pleasure.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Bro. James

 

The letter to Galatians was written to the churches in Galatia, not the Jews therein. "O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?" Most of the early churches were converted Jews. These churches were already going after other gospels, not unlike churches today. The letter to Galatians applies to all New Testament Churches. There is neither Jew nor Gentile in Christ. The NT has many references admonishing not to go back to the things of the Law. Paul uses the word anathama several times in the first chapter.

Consider the Amish: they are in the world, but not of the world in terms of conformity. Right or wrong, they are living their faith. Their walk is consistent with their talk, even though though they do not talk much to those outside their world. Jesus did not tell His disciples to be cloistered.

God says: "Be holy even as I am Holy".

Sanctification is a life-long adventure.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Peace,

Bro. James

 

Easter is all about the Easter Bunny and hunting for eggs.

Christmas is all about Santa Claus and getting presents.

Thanksgiving is all about turkey day, and watching football.

Can Halloween become the day for witch-hunting KJB haters.

Do fault finding threads where we judge another Man's servants lift up Christ?

 

Better Late Than Never...

I know this reply goes back to the previous page but I meant to answer this one yesterday.
Bro.12Strings...if I have my history correct, I believe Christmas and Easter were originally instituted by the Roman Catholic Church as a way to "blend" or "christianize" what were originally pagan observances around those times of the year. That said, I think Bro.Jame's comments on the matter ARE indeed accurate Biblically when you consider that NEITHER Christmas OR Easter actually have a Biblical mandate to be celebrated anywhere in the actual Inspired written Scriptures...Old OR New Testament. Therefore, to be discussing either of these two "holidays" in the same sense we would discuss Biblically mandated Jewish feasts and mandates of their OT law is not a valid comparison. They don't fall under the same umbrella in my opinion.
Now, That said I will be honest and say that I do celebrate or observe both days, not in some passion of legal dogma but rather as a means of refuting and rejecting the pagan passions of those around me who don't know the Lord. If they're hawking Santa Claus (that old faker) or the Easter Bunny (rabbit is great broiled or in a good stew)( and I like my eggs over-well) then I'm talking about Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour and trying to display that testimony to the lost world around me. I am commanded to be a testimony to the world. I just try to take something that the devil might have originally conceived to mislead and corrupt the world with and turn it into a means to display the love of Christ. I'm following the example of my Heavenly Father in doing that....He turns things around on the old devil all the time!!:thumbsup: It just means that THAT display becomes a bit more focused at those times of the year. That said...we ought to strive to live faithfully for our Lord 24/7, 365 days a year. For us the following is to be always true.....Jesus Christ was born of a virgin to live a perfect life and die to save us. He arose so that THAT salvation was finished and sealed for all eternity for ALL who would believe and trust Him. He conquered sin and death! Hallelujah!!! ( by the way...for our Calvinist friends...remember that He is(see 2 Peter 3:9) "not willing that ANY should perish, but that all should come to repentance."...NO...not all will be saved but God desires that they be...and has performed the means for them to be so....IF they but will...)

THAT is what we are to "celebrate" every day of our lives and for all eternity. That covers it all. If we "choose" to observe (out of interest or some sense of nostalgia some Jewish festival or other holiday, like christmas, easter, presidents day, martin luther king day, memorial day, july fourth...( and oh yeah...let's not forget my personal favorite...Thanksgiving!)and the list could go on...then there is nothing devilish or satanic about it. Neither does doing so (or not) offer any salvic or any other real benefit or consequence to our spiritual walk with the Lord IF WE ARE TRULY BORN AGAIN.

To close this...here is the Biblical STANDARD that should truly govern ALL we say and do as Christians...1 Corinthians 10:31-33 says:

31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Let us always walk in a way that honors our Lord.:saint:

Bro.Greg:type:

 

Not sure your point here...there were jews and non-jews in these churches.

Exactly, we do not go back to the requirements of the law...which makes a man free to observe holy days, or not, either is fine, a la Romans 6.

Actually, the walk of the amish is often inconsistent, and they have all the problems of human sinfulness just like we do, including teenage alcohol abuse, promiscuity, power struggles, temptations from the world...etc. Their extra-biblical rules do not help them in this regard, and scripture tells us exactly why:

Col. 2:20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

 

No doubt about it: the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life do not go away at salvation; in fact they intensify. The child of God has the means of resisting. "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."

Nobody said the Amish had no lust. They just have less temptation because of their lifestyle. Our paradigm of right and wrong is: What is wrong with it? The correct paradigm should be: "what is right with it?' The answers are not the same.

Methinks we have different paradigms of what sin might be. My basic paradigm is: "Whatever is not of faith is sin". This puts all of us in need of confession daily. Our biggest sin problem is not what we do wrong, but rather what we do not do that is right--sins of omission.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Peace,

Bro. James

 

It seems then, we are generally agreed. (see underlined above)

 

So would you say that their extra-biblical rules DO have value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh? And if so, how does that fit with Col. 4:20-23?

I think you are correct. We do have a different paradigm of what sin is...but we are agreed that whatever is no of faith is sin.

My paradigm is this: God worked through 40+men over the coarse of 1600 years to write a book to tell his people what he expects from them, what he wants them to do, and not do...and that book is sufficient. I don't need to add sins to God's list, like "Don't gather with Christians on Easter to for a special time dedicated to thanking God for the salvation provided with by Christ's death and Resurrection." (And there is a lot RIGHT about that) ... or "Don't wear bright colors or use electricity."

 

Easter in the KJV

There is evidence from the 1600's that indicates that the majority of the KJV translators may not have been responsible for the rendering “Easter” in the KJV at Acts 12:4. Instead they likely supported the Geneva Bible’s rendering “Passover.” Just as the KJV translators changed the Bishops’ Bible’s two other uses of “Easter” at John 11:55 to “Passover,” they may have also changed this third use at Acts 12:4. While Tyndale and Coverdale had used the rendering “Easter” several times for the Jewish Passover, the later English translators had increasingly changed this rendering to “Passover.“

Printed in 1671 but based on an earlier manuscript by Henry Jessey, Edward Whiston indicated that a great prelate, the chief supervisor of the KJV, inserted “Easter” back into the text of the KJV at this verse as one of the 14 changes he was said to have made (Life and Death of Mr. Henry Jessey, p. 49). In his 1648 sermon entitled “Truth and Love,“ Thomas Hill also noted that Acts 12:4 “was another place that was altered (as you have heard) to keep up that holy time of Easter, as they would think it” (Six Sermons, p. 25).

Was the goal of inserting the rendering “Easter” back into the text at this verse in order to present faithfully the meaning of the Greek word in English or was it intended to give the readers a different meaning?
In his volume on Acts in his An Interpretation of the English Bible, B. H. Carroll observed: “Pious Episcopalians and Romanists use this verse [Acts 12:4] of the A. V. to confirm their custom of celebrating Easter” (p. 184). James Woolsey asserted: “To support, from the Scripture, the idea of Easter-Sunday and Easter-day, they suppress the original word which the Holy Ghost moved the inspired penman to use, and employed the Saxon word Easter” (Doctrine, p. 93). Concerning “Easter” at Acts 12:4, James Edmunds and T. S. Bell commented: “The excuse is, that by this utter disregard of what the Holy Spirit really said, the solemn feasts of the Church are sustained” (Discussion, p. 33).