O you who love the Lord, hate evil! – Psalm 97:10 ~ There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. – Proverbs 14:12
The mingling of that which is of God with that which is of man is a special form of evil, and a very effectual engine, in Satan’s hand, for marring the testimony of Christ on the earth. This mingling may frequently wear the appearance of something very desirable; it may often look like a wider promulgation of that which is of God—a fuller and a more vigorous outgoing of a divine influence—a something to be rejoiced in rather than to be deplored: but our judgment as to this will depend entirely upon the point of view from which we contemplate it. If we look at it in the light of God’s presence, we cannot possibly imagine that an advantage is gained when the people of God mingle themselves with the children of this world, or when the truth of God is corrupted by human admixture. Such is not the divine method of promulgating truth, or of advancing the interests of those who ought to occupy the place of witnesses for Him on the earth. Separation from all evil is God’s principle; and this principle can never be infringed without serious damage to the truth. …Satan’s first effort was to frustrate God’s purpose by putting the holy seed to death; and when that failed, he sought to gain his end by corrupting it. (bold mine)
—C. H. Mackintosh , Notes on Genesis
Based on Daniel’s prayer for his people as he stood in the gap for them:
Oh Lord, our great and awe-full God, who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love You and keep Your commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity and done wickedly with our Christo-paganism by rebelling against Your precepts and judgements; nor have we heeded Your servants, the watchmen, who spoke to us in Your name. Oh Lord Jesus, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face for our idolatrous ways of worshipping You. You have been distant from us because of our prideful rebellion and our love for the pagan/papist “holy” days full of men’s traditions, of which our devotion to them has blinded us to Your commandments against such worship of You. To us belongs shame of face, but to You belong mercy and forgiveness even though we have sinned against You. We have not sought Your Word nor repented that we may worship You in spirit and in truth; to obey Your voice and heed Your warnings, that these feast days are of a false gospel leading to the false messiah, the pagan god, Tammuz. But now, our Lord, our Savior from sin and God’s wrath, our Deliverer, turn away Your anger and deliver us from our prideful rebellion and convict us of our sins against You, that we may purge from our worship to You all vestiges of paganism and syncretism. Cleanse us with Your precious blood and, by the power of Your Holy Spirit and grace, lead us to walk on Your path of righteousness. Hear our prayer for the sake of Your erring children and, once again, cause Your face to shine upon us that we may be pure and true witnesses of Your salvation before a most dark world. O Lord! Hear us! O Lord! Forgive us! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, and for Your children who are called by Your name. Call them to come out of Babylon! In Your holy name we pray, amen.
Daniel’s prayer- Daniel 9:1-26
Your ears are not your own—that you may listen to
every foolish tale, drink in every political, worldly, or
carnal report which may fall upon them—and thus feed
that natural desire for news, gossip, and even slander,
which is the very element of the carnal mind.
Your tongue is not your own, that you may speak
what you please, and blurt out whatever passes in
the chambers of your heart, without check or fear.
Yes, blessed be God, there is gospel liberty, for
there is no real happiness in religion without it;
but not liberty to sin—not liberty to gratify the
lusts of the flesh—not liberty to act contrary to
the gospel we profess, and the precepts of God’s
Word—for this is not liberty but licentiousness.
“You are not your own! For you are bought with
a price…therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19
– J. C. Philpot
“Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.” ` Deuteronomy 12:30
FTA: While many of the pagan customs associated with the celebration of Spring were at one stage practised alongside Christian Easter traditions, they eventually came to be absorbed within Christianity, as symbols of the resurrection of Jesus. (my note: this is syncretism-combining paganism and Christianity in the unlawful worship to God) source
Ever since the first prophesy to mankind, recorded in Genesis 3:15, man has tried to fulfill it with their own ideas and gods. Myths and legends abound to this day. And, sadly, incorporating these myths’ traditions into Christianity has many believing that Christianity is just another pagan religion. Christians have not obeyed God in setting themselves apart from the pagan religions and it has muddied the truth that Jesus Christ is the only Savior, the only Redeemer.
FTA: Today, Tammuz’s cultural legacy is evident in various cultural practices, including the celebration of Easter. The resurrection of Jesus during Easter has similarities to the myth of Tammuz’s resurrection and highlights the cyclical nature of life and death…The worship of Tammuz was accompanied by ancient rituals, such as the weeping for Tammuz, a ritual during which women mourned the death of the deity. Archaeologists have discovered that Tammuz’s worship involved a range of practices such as sacrifices in his honor, singing hymns to his name, and participating in temple rites…Tammuz’s cultural legacy and relevance can still be seen in modern society. Although he was worshiped long ago, his significance continues to influence the world today, making his story an intriguing aspect of Ancient Near East’s history and mythology. His popularity allows us to understand the culture and traditions of Mesopotamia, providing an insight into how human belief systems have evolved throughout history. source
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. – 1 Peter 2 :9
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