Category: Easter

Importance of Sound Doctrine

~ Sherry ~ 2 Comments

Form the book, Bible Readings for the Home, 1943, a family devotional and study book:

Does it matter what one believes, so long as he is sincere?

God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. – 2 Thessalonians 2:13

“…and belief of the truth.”

Doctrine affects the life. Truth leads to life and to God; error to death and destruction. No one would think of saying it matters not what god one worships, so long as he is sincere, any more than he would think of saying it matters not what one eats and drinks, so long as he relishes what he eats and drinks; or what road he travels, so long as he thinks he is on the right road. Sincerity is a virtue; but it is not the test of sound doctrine. God wills that we shall know the truth, and He has made provision whereby we may know what is truth.

The influence of all idolatrous worship is degrading.

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It is idolatry, not only to worship a false god, but the true God in a false manner. – Thomas Watson

Don’t Be Spoiled

~ Sherry ~ 12 Comments

Why Christians Shouldn’t Celebrate Christmas – Pagan Origin of Christmas

~ Sherry ~ 10 Comments

Best video I’ve heard on the subject using the most reliable sources. The first ten minutes is worth the listen if you listen to no more of it.

This sermon explains why Christians should not celebrate Christmas because it is the pagan holiday of Saturnalia and Natalis Solis Invicti of which the Catholic Church changed the name.

Wrong Portrayal of Our Living Christ

~ Sherry ~ 3 Comments

Whither?

~ Sherry ~ 3 Comments

An excerpt:

Based upon the foregoing presentation, several conclusions may be drawn. These conclusions uniformly support a complete repudiation of Christmas by those who wish to uphold a biblical view of worship.

The scriptures, both by precept and example, forbid the use of any form of worship which is not ordained by God. Since Christmas has no biblical warrant, it should be rejected, even if there were no other reason to question it. The reader who doubts this conclusion, should take a thoughtful look at scriptural passages which demonstrate the unlawfulness of adding to the worship of God through the innovations of man. (See Deut. 4:2; 12:29-32; Lev. 10:1-2; 1 Sam. 13:9-13; Col. 2:16.)

Christmas has brought an infusion of paganism into the Church. This kind of admixture was prohibited among God’s people in both the Old and New Testaments. The people of God must purge such corruptions from their midst. “What agreement hath the temple of God with idols?… Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2Cor. 6:16-17).

Christmas remains a monument of the superstition of the Church of Rome. If anyone doubts this proposition, he may turn on a television and watch the Papal Mass on Christmas Eve; the Pope struts around the altar, chants the prescribed words, and holds up the elements so they may be adored by a fawning multitude. This is not a light matter. It is aggravated by a modern softness toward Popery. Instead of looking for an Antichrist of the dispensational model, Protestants had better reawaken to the dangers of the Pope, who is “that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God. “[67] All remnants of Papal superstition must be eradicated from the Church, including favorable references to the word Christmas. The term Christmas itself lends credibility to Popery (via the Popish Mass), and God demands that his people purge even their language from the terminology of corrupt worship (see Deut. 12:3; Ex. 23:13).

Christmas observance undermines the sanctity of the Lord’s day. The yearning for festivals and celebrations among God’s people is understandable. Indeed, God instituted the Lord’s day (and the Lord’s Supper) to fulfill a need which men have in this vital area. One reason why people are so enamored with the festivity of holidays is that the Lord’s day is often perceived only in terms of what activities are prohibited on that day. If the Lord’s day is celebrated properly, with great joy, much of the desire for these other days will dissipate. We should be overjoyed with the grand truths of redemption on the day of Christ’s resurrection: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24). It is no mere accident of history that holidays and the Lord’s day are so often linked together in discussions of this sort. Where one is prominent, the other fades in significance. May the Lord’s day be restored to its rightful place in worship.

The institution of Christmas assumes an erroneous view of Church power. God has set apart the Lord’s day as the time for regular worship and corporate remembrance of him. Men do not have the right (or authority) to sanctify other days for stated religious observances. Christmas-keepers are thereby granting to the Church a co-equal authority with the scriptures, since they acknowledge an ecclesiastical power to institute new ordinances of worship.

Further, Christmas constitutes a false sacrament. The Old Testament ceremonies and festivals were designed to typify Christ; they were visible representations to foreshadow the Messiah who was to come, and to confirm the promises of God. Now that Christ has come, the old festivities are not to be observed. Instead, Christ has given to the Church the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The sacraments serve as a visible word to confirm the spiritual realities of our redemption. To celebrate Christmas in a similar manner ­ as a visible reminder and seal of the Incarnation ­ is to allow the holiday to usurp a role which rightly belongs to the sacraments.

Christmas is a source of great misinformation and accessory abuses. The present study has left this realm largely unexplored. Yet, it needs to be mentioned. Every year, Christmas is the occasion of serious distortions of the facts of the Incarnation. Popular presentations frequently twist the historical facts, as demonstrated by numerous portrayals of the wise men in the manger. By riding roughshod over the historical details of Christ’s birth, these popular presentations impugn the accuracy of the scriptural record.

Moreover, during the Christmas season numerous manger scenes and religious images are erected in public places, church buildings and homes. This multiplication of graven images is a blatant violation of the second commandment, which explicitly forbids making or using any pictorial representations of God. The second commandment prohibits the making of any images of God, including “pictures of Christ” in the manger.

The accessory abuses of Christmas are so commonly known, they need only be mentioned. The season is characterized by crass commercialism in the media; the stimulation of mass covetousness, especially among children; and general debauchery, as exhibited in many annual Christmas parties.

The issue is not a matter of indifference. Since Christmas was not instituted by God, it should not be approved or tolerated in the official practices of the Church.

http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualNLs/Xmas_ch2.htm

Christmas?

~ Sherry ~ 2 Comments

author Lonnie Randall

Worship is an act of reverence and adoration with a sense of awe. A worshipper is an humble servant of the one being worshipped. Does it really matter how we worship God? God told the Israelites how not to worship Him in Deuteronomy.

When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. Deuteronomy 12:29-32

The Israelites were attracted to the religions and rituals of their neighboring nations. Time and time again, they were found worshipping pagan gods and practicing pagan methods of worship. Time and time again, they were punished for their obstinacy.

Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth. He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’s house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. 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. 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 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. 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. Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. Ezekiel 8:12-18

Why will He not hear them? Speaking of the nation of Israel under King Solomon, I Kings 11:33 says,

Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

Like people today, the ancient Israelites worshipped a diversity of gods with various beliefs, traditions, and rituals. As mentioned in the previous texts, two of their favorite deities were the god, Tammuz, and the goddess, Ashtoreth. These two were known throughout the ancient world by various names. Tammuz was also known as Dumuzzi, Baal, Osiris, and Adonis. Ashtoreth was known as Astarte, Astar, Ishtar, Isis, and Aphrodite. Today we would call her mother earth or mother nature. These religions were all concerned with nature.

finish reading here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/3943609825653186/

Protestants On The Road To Rome!

~ Sherry ~ 1 Comment

This sermon (the first in this important series) exposes how some modern Protestants are leading people astray from biblical (Reformation) teaching on worship and holy days — and right into the arms of Papal Antichrist!…This message is must listening for everyone who seeks to follow the Lord, as He has revealed Himself in Scripture, in all things. Remember that the Lord Jesus Christ said in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments,” and in Matthew 15:9, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,” — then ask yourself, “Where in Scripture is Christ-mass keeping commanded by God”?

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1230071522288

Scroll down the page for Part 2 and other sermons on the subject.

God Will Have None of You

~ Sherry ~ 1 Comment

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As Matthew Henry said, “If Satan gets but half of you, he gets all of you. If God gets but half of you, He will have none of you.” Its time to destroy all of the pagan/papist traditions and rituals from our worship to God.