Featured Who is Jesus Christ's true church?

But once we have been called out, we now know what is of God and what is of the deceiver. And we through the power of God began to minister to others as we see.

Hebrews 6:9-11 King James Version (KJV)
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

 

If you are still under the bondage of evil of the apostate church, free will is a illusion and a much smaller issue such as the proverbial 'rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic'. You have to come out of 'Babylon' completely and its hold or you are still in the realm of the deceiver.

 

So the steps to get out from under the shadow of this apostate church and its realm of evil was a question that came up. The brother after seeing all the pagan corruption brought in or picked up by the churches of the Reformation from the Roman Catholic Church asked what could be done to "get Paganism out of Protestantism?"

It stunned me at first, but it shows God can open the eyes and ears of what we may begin to feel are shut. But what are the steps that the true churches of Christ need to do to shed this evil and get back on the path to 'sola scriptura'.

Its much like the evil that the disciples could not get rid of in a child and asked Christ why...

Matthew 17:18-20 King James Version (KJV)
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

 

So what did the Roman Catholic Church bring in from paganism? Well we have the structure of the pagan system of 'Emperor Worship' that has roots all the way back to the 'god-kings' of Babylon that we see in the "Pontifex Maximus" or the Pope.

'The Pope has power to change times, to abrogate (change) laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ." Decretal, de Tranlatic Episcop. This , my friends, is blasphemy. The pope believes that he can forever change the laws of the very Creator without retribution. Notice this very similar wording in the book of Daniel:

The Holy Bible -KJV, Daniel 7:21 "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;" 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

'The Pope has authority and has often exercised it, to dispense with the command of Christ." Decretal, de Tranlatic Episcop. Cap.( This is very true as he did away with God's seventhday Sabbath and replaced it with his own first day or Lord's day....the day of the Sungod.~kh)
The pope would like to make keeping Sunday "a Must" - ``Sunday is something much different: It is the weekly day in which the church celebrates the resurrection of Christ,'' he said. ``In obedience to the Third Commandment (really the fourth commandment -but one does not expect those who worship graven images to acknowledge a commandment against them~kh), Sunday must be sanctified, above all by participation in holy Mass.'' Pope John Paul II-DIES DOMINI-Dies Hominis, May 31, 1998

"In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church's holy days as legal holidays." Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994, 585....Sabbath Commandment Vs Sunday Law

We must read the scriptures and cleanse ourselves from any of the paganism and false worship especially the substitute of the Sabbath, pagan festivals or "Holy Days" that have been spread into many churches beliefs. The Protestant churches that split from and began the Reformation because they saw the truth and fought so hard against the Papal Roman church are now falling back one by one to unifying with it as the ecumenical movement is bringing force to bear, to beliefs in secularism and false doctrines of "Tradition" and paganism. Slowly but surely they are giving up the true beliefs that were their foundation until they become nothing more but secular social clubs with pagan traditions and festivals. The Churches of the Reformation must awake as the reformation had based its separation from Rome on the Word of God, and had placed the gospel of Jesus Christ at the disposal of the common man. The striving of the reformers was to make the Word of God available to everyone seeking knowledge of the plan of salvation. They must go back to the word and strive to restore truths that have been lost through centuries of false doctrines and "traditions", especially the Sabbath.

 

Now some of the churches of the Reformation still might have remnants of paganism that they are not even aware of, or working out agreements with Rome on its christian validity under 'ecumenism'. Here are a few...

"The belief in miracle-working objects, talismans, amulets, and formulas was dear to Christianity, and they were received from pagan antiquity . . . The vestments of the clergy and the papal title of 'pontifex maximus' were legacies from pagan Rome. The [Catholic] Church found that rural converts still revered certain springs, wells, trees, and stones; she thought it wiser to bless these to Christian use then to break too sharply the customs of sentiment . . . Pagan festivals dear to the people, reappeared as Christian feasts, and pagan rites were transformed into Christian liturgy . . . The Christian calendar of saints replaced the Roman 'fasti' [gods]; ancient divinities dear to the people were allowed to revive under the names of 'Christian saints' . . . Gradually the tenderest features of Astarte, Cybele, Artemis, Diana, and Isis were gathered together in the worship of Mary"--Wil Durant, The Age of Faith, 1950, pp. 745-746.

From ancient Babylon came the cult of the virgin mother-goddess, who was worshiped as the highest of gods--see S. H. Langdon, Semitic Mythology, 1931 edition.

This worship was taken over as Mary-worship by Rome. Heathen sun-worship on Sunday was likewise adopted by the Roman apostasy.

Langdon tells us that Mary worship came from ancient Babylon where the virgin mother-goddess was worshiped under the name "Ishtar." Elsewhere in the Near East, the mother-goddess was called "Astarte, Ashtoreth, Persephone, Artemis, [Diana] of Ephesus, Venus, and Isis." This goddess, considered to be greater than any god, was called by these heathen the "virgin mother, merciful mother, Queen of Heaven, and my lady" [which is what "Madonna" means in Italian]. Langdon says she was often sculptured in mother-and-infant images, or as a "mater dolorom" [sorrowful mother] interceding for men with a wrathful god. And thus ancient paganism was brought into the churches and lives of Christians.--see S.H. Langdon, Semitic Mythology, 1931 edition, pp. 12-34, 108-111, 341-344.

Laing mentions several other corruptions by which the mother-goddess was worshiped by heathens, that Rome adopted into Christianity: holy water, votive offerings, elevation of sacred objects [lifting of the host], the priest's bells, the decking of images, processions, festivals, prayers for the dead, the worship of relics and the statues of saints.--see Gordon J. Laing, Survivals of Roman Religion, 1931 edition, pp. 92-95, 123-131,238-241.

 

Here is more I came across...
Lets compare some of the pagan sun god beliefs of Baal with what has been picked up and 'christianized' by the Catholic church and some pagan beliefs and doctrines even allowed into Protestant churches.

PAGAN BELIEFS- The nativity of the Sun, the birth of Tammuz Dec. 25
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The nativity of Jesus, Christmas Dec 25

PAGAN BELIEFS- The Midsummer festival held Jun 24
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The Nativity of St. John held June 24

PAGAN BELIEFS- The assumption of Semiramus who became the mother godess
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The assumption of Mary, who became the mother of God

PAGAN BELIEFS- The mother goddess was worshipped as the Queen of Heaven. Jer. 7:18
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The Virgin Mary worshipped as the Queen of Heaven.

PAGAN BELIEFS-Cakes decorated to the goddess with a "+" drawn on it. Jer. 44:17,19 CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Hot cross buns

PAGAN BELIEFS- 40 days fasting for Tammuz, Ezek. 8:14
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- 40 days of Lent

PAGAN BELIEFS- Pagan festival of Easter. Ezek 8:16
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The festival of Easter

PAGAN BELIEFS- The resurrection of Tammuz at Easter and the procession of graven images during holy week
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The procession of graven images of Jesus, Mary, and Peter, and of the saints

PAGAN BELIEFS- Veneration of graven images of Baal, Ishtar, Tammuz and lesser gods in the heavens
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Veneration of graven images of Jesus, Mary, Peter, and of the "lesser" saints in the heavens

PAGAN BELIEFS- The belief of immortality of the soul and burning place of torment.
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The belief of immortality of the soul and burning place of torment.

PAGAN BELIEFS- The doctrine of purgatory
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The doctrine of purgatory

PAGAN BELIEFS- The belief of the dead visiting the living, feast held for all in November, (All souls day)
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The festival of all souls day held Nov. 2, and all saints day held Nov. 1 (All souls day)

PAGAN BELIEFS- Burning incense and candles Jer 11:17; Ezek 8:11
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The burning of incense and candles

PAGAN BELIEFS- Chants and repetative prayers. Beaded prayer chains.
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Gregorian chants and the Rosary

PAGAN BELIEFS- Infant baptism, and sprinkling of holy water
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Infant baptism, and sprinkling of holy water

PAGAN BELIEFS- The Pagan high priest king believed to be the incarnate of the Sun god
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The Pope proclaims to be Christ's Vicar (replacement) here on Earth. It is also recorded in numerous documents that the pope believes he is god on earth....

PAGAN BELIEFS- Statues of a "Madonna" found in all Pagan cults as well as Egyptian Madonna Isis with her son Horus, or Hindu cults with Divaki and her son Krishna.
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Statues of Mary can be found in all Catholic churches holding baby Jesus.

PAGAN BELIEFS- Dagon, which was the God of Babylon and Philistia and is mentioned several times in scripture in Judges 16:23, 1 Samuel 5:2-7, and 1 Chronicles 1:10. Babylonian fish-god (half man half fish) was depicted by Pagan high priests by wearing a fish head mitre (head dress) upon a mans head to symbolize man and fish joining when "sun god" set into the ocean. (Neptune = case in point. Half man half fish) One particular Biblical diety = "Dagon" Dag=fish On=sun. In Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, this is the definition for Dagon: 1712. Dagown, daw-gohn'; from H1709; the fish-god; Dagon, a Philistine deity: - According to Ugaritic and other documents link Baal as the son of El, or Dagon.

CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Mitres are worn by all Popes of Catholcism

http://www.tofm.org/papacy/pope_mitre.htm

 

It depends on what the building it being used for, the true worship of God, or the substitute brought in by evil.......

Ezekiel 8:15-17 King James Version (KJV)
15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
16 And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.