Views: 47
Is Easter Pagan?
Is Easter Pagan?
Warning: Always do your own research. Our intention is to only accept narratives by doing the research ourselves. Our intention is never to offend. However, going against familiar narratives to get to the truth will produce offenses. We apologize in advance.
Not long ago, I was sitting with someone I respect. He said, “Easter is pagan." I inquired as to how he arrived at that knowledge, and he mentioned something about the goddess Ishtar and Easter being the same. I said Easter was a Germanic word for spring, so how could it be Ishtar?
No, Easter is not pagan today. "Well, Ric, when I search on google for the origins of Easter, it shows it had pagan roots." "Ah, the Internet," I said with a frustrated sigh. As researchers, to be correct, we must dig deeper. Easter is not from a pagan goddess. Ishtar was a Babylonian goddess that "SOUNDS LIKE" Easter; however, there is no link in etymology, as the article below will show.[1]
This article explains the background of Easter from Baylor University. "Well, Ric, what about Easter bunnies and eggs? Aren't they pagan?" They are not pagan, and they are recent modern inventions. The article provides details.
https://news.web.baylor.edu/news/story/2016/why-easter-was-never-anything-christian-holiday
After reading the article, we are back to continue studying why Christians celebrate Easter Sunday.
A Time for the Gospel
Those against Easter and Christmas have the same talking points. "Christmas and Easter are pagan." The assumption is that a good Christian will not celebrate this time of the year because someone said it is pagan, or worse, we are worshipping pagan deities.
If these accusations are true about Easter, is there a problem of laziness because of a lack of research on our part? Worse, if a group in our circle of influence believes this and we do not know why they think this is true, are we giving into a type of adult peer pressure? A passionate argument of "Easter is pagan" can come from a good motivation, but the person echoing this comment may not have done any research. The person does not want to offend God. Good idea. However, if proper research is done, we will find that the concerns are not valid to actual history.
We can be at peace to celebrate Easter because Christ's resurrection gave us peace with God. What if the result is to focus on not celebrating Easter because it is pagan, and we lose an opportunity to share why we celebrate Easter and do not present the Gospel? Like Christmas, this time of the year is to celebrate the Gospel.
Another close friend came to Christ just over a year and prayed for his family to come to the knowledge of salvation. His youngest sister shared with him that she had no idea Easter was about the Lord Jesus Christ. She was unchurched. My friend used the opportunity to share the Gospel, and she came to Christ! Three weeks later, she died of a heart attack! Christmas and Easter are a time to focus on Christ and what He did for us on that horrid tree.
Others believe Easter is pagan and tell us not to celebrate Easter for another reason: to celebrate the Jewish Passover.
Should a Christian celebrate Passover (Jewish) or Easter (Christian)?
Now that we have settled that Easter is not pagan, we can move on to another problem. Our faith in Christ has Jewish roots. The Jewish nation was founded on leaving Egypt as slaves to become a nation around their belief in God. To leave Egypt, they performed the Passover meal of the lamb. But first, those who believed in God were warned that the Destroyer would come and kill the firstborn children throughout the land. To prevent the Destroyer from visiting their homes, the Hebrews had to kill, eat and sprinkle the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. Believing in God's word and acting on it caused the Destroyer to "Passover" the house. Therefore, up to 1.5-2.5 million people left Egypt.[2] The Jews were to celebrate Passover every year. The feast is called “unleavened bread” because the Jews left Egypt quickly without leavening their bread. Our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified on the Passover without sin (because He is God) and was designated the Passover lamb. Exodus 12.
Yet, for some reason, Christians celebrate Easter versus Passover. Why should that be? Simply because of calendars, the resurrection, and unleavened bread.
Christians view the first day of the week (Sunday) as the day Christ rose from the dead and therefore call it "the Lord’s Day." The celebration of Easter is not linked to the Jewish calendar but to a day. Sunday became the traditional day for worship for Christians (Jews and Gentiles in Christ), and it was natural to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ on Sunday. The resurrection symbolizes Christ's defeat of sin and death. We can find records of the early church celebrating the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ on Sunday, the first day of the week. We can also find documents that both Jews and Gentiles kept the Sabbath and also worshipped on the Lord’s Day. Acts 20:7-12
Judaism celebrates Passover because they do not accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah. Some Jewish people that believe in Jesus Christ as their Messiah will still celebrate the Passover.
Jewish people also use a calendar based on the new moon, which can put the Passover and unleavened bread during the week. In other words, Judaism is not tied to celebrating the Passover on any given day, such as Sunday but does celebrate Passover on the 14th day of Nissan, which can be a different day of the week each year. Notice that Passover is a weeklong celebration, and Christianity instead focuses on the day of His resurrection.
Let’s Review
Christians believe that the feast of unleavened bread, which removes sin in our lives because we exchange His righteousness for our sinfulness, was fulfilled in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who made atonement with His sinless blood for all mankind. Jesus is the Passover lamb. In Contrast, the Passover focuses on the Exodus of Egypt (a type and shadow of what the Lord Jesus Christ would fulfill), which now finds fulfillment in Christ's resurrection. Heb 7:26-8:5.[3] Christians focus on Easter Sunday because they recognize Christ as the Messiah, and Christ’s resurrection was on Sunday, the first day of the week. Mark 16:9
Why don't Christians celebrate the Feast of Unleavened bread? The symbolism of yeast is sin. Therefore, in preparation for Passover, one is to remove sin in one's life by cleaning your house of all things touched or might have been touched by yeast (ovens, utensils, mixing bowls, etc.). If you have ever tried to go a week without yeast products, it is tough to accomplish. A person cannot work hard enough to have sin/yeast removed from their life. We are thankful for the Lord Jesus's sacrifice as the Passover lamb to wash our sins away with His blood. Therefore, this feast is fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ.
We ask the final question, is Easter pagan? No. Should Christians celebrate Passover? We found that immersing ourselves in learning how Christ fulfilled most feasts is a beneficial experience. Seder meals (like the last supper) are informative for Christian believers to understand that Christianity is rooted in Judaism. The focus of Passover is the blood on the doorposts. The subject of Easter Sunday is the blood of Christ on the cross to forgive our sins and that He is risen from the dead, causing our sin debt to God to be "finished," as Christ said on the cross. Christ rose from the dead and was witnessed by over 500 people, which is our promise of eternal life. 1 Cor 15:6. No other person in history was raised from the dead. 1 Cor 15:13. Our God has risen!
We can focus on the Passover, which points to the lamb's blood in Egypt, or believers in Christ can celebrate the fulfillment of Passover on Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Christ! And if you like, add in Easter bunnies and cute eggs for kids that point them to new life in Christ.
Enjoy your holiday. People are open this season to know what Easter is about, so share the Good News! Christ has risen!
[1] Owen Jarus 01 February 2014, “Ishtar Gate: Grand Entrance to Babylon,” livescience.com, September 22, 2022, https://www.livescience.com/43036-ishtar-gate.html#:~:text=The%20Ishtar%20Gate%2C%20named%20after.
[2]Liz Abrams and Troy Lacey, “Did 600,000 Men Leave Egypt with Moses?,” Answers in Genesis (Answers in Genesis, September 20, 2022), https://answersingenesis.org/bible-questions/did-600000-men-leave-egypt-moses/.
[3] Nissan Dubov, “Pesach,” Chabad.org (Chabad), accessed March 23, 2023, https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2313774/jewish/The-Jewish-Festivals.htm.
Views: 103
Erv Puckett's Funeral Notice
#ervpuckett #funeralservice #jesus #jesussaves #jesuschrist #jesuslovesyou
Hi Everyone,
May the peace of the Lord rest with you all. Erv Puckett's funeral notice is posted here. You may watch it online. If you have not heard Erv's wonderful testimony, it is here. https://youtu.be/LkqL4FZLP8E
The Lord stepped into Erv's life, and Erv stepped into our lives as well, and we want to celebrate his going home to be with the Lord. We want him with us, and that is our sadness. We celebrate what he has meant to us all at the funeral. Come join us! Please share.
Click the picture to watch the funeral on Saturday the 10th 11:00 am, of December. Or here is the link https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4Cz4kjxtia_suKjtUdtxh8_SuhVej6IA
Views: 482
Christmas: Celebrating the Birth of Our Savior
Christmas: Celebrating the Birth of Our Savior, or is Christmas Pagan?
By Biblestudycompany.com Ric Joyner
We will state upfront that Christmas is not a biblical holiday. But it is not unbiblical to celebrate the birth of Christ. We should also not equalize Christmas with the advent of our Savior. The Old Testament prophesized over the birth of the Savior to come. The current secular traditions of Santa, with almost God-like qualities and manipulating kids to "further fantasize" a jolly old man who can give all children on earth toys and an "elf on the shelf" that watches how they behave, is unbiblical. Still, some feel it is acceptable to create a myth around Santa Clause while children are young. We disagree. Our view is that it is always best to be honest with children about Santa. Giving presents at this time of the year is not wrong because the Magi gave Christ's family gifts in worship to the young boy Messiah which helped the family with expenses to flee to Egypt. Consumerism and greed are wrong and an issue of sin, but only the Holy Spirit can lead you to that truth and He knows your heart.
Frustration mounts as we approach this time of year in the Christmas season. Screams of "Christmas is pagan" escalate into a crescendo with arguments against Christmas on social media and by some bible teachers. Could this be a veiled attack on the Gospel in the name of "we don't want to be idolators"?
Let's take a look. Will you please reread these scriptures prayerfully as we begin our biblical study?
Matthew Chapters 1-2 highlights
- Jesus Christ's genealogy to be the King of Israel
- Angel's perspective on why Joseph should marry Mary.
- Many prophecies were fulfilled. The time for Messiah is here.
- Why did God's Son come? "To save the people from their sins." Paul defined the Gospel in 1 Cor 15:1-4. The Pharisees interpreted scripture that the Messiah would come and rescue Israel from Rome. The real problem was Adam's sin, which infected us, and God planned to fix sin and death. God dealt with the eternal consequences for both Jews and Gentiles. We don't want to miss this distinction.
- His name announced is "God with us." How interesting! Because in Judaism at this time (second temple), a man could rise to become the Messiah (the Lord's anointed) but not be "God with us" in the form of a man. Simeon's prophecy in Luke 2:25-35 expresses the Gospel to us, and the Gospel begins here at the birth of Christ.
"30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel."
Luke Chapters 1 and 2. Pay attention to what the angels say a couple of times: "good news," translated as the same word… Gospel. The birth of Christ is good news for Jews because their long-awaited Messiah was finally here, and the prophecy was fulfilled. We write this paper 2,000 years later for gentiles, grateful that the apostles preached the Gospel to us: Good news: Christ came as a child to break the back of sin and death and allowed us gentiles an eternal "home" and become children of God! Gentiles are not part of the nation of Israel, but we are part of God's family! (Eph Chap 1-4)
We celebrate the birth of Christ because of the Gospel!
Read John 1 for a view from heaven of why Christ came.
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the intention of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. We saw His glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
Is Christmas pagan?
If it is, then are you a pagan for celebrating the day of Christ's birth? The historical proof that Christmas is pagan is thrown at you with overwhelming emotional authoritarianism. Is emotionalism based on biblical truth? How about historical facts? We know the origin of Christmas (birth of Christ) is biblical. The story of our Savior starts with His birth because the prophets mentioned He was coming. We suspect the anti-Christmas vehemence is agenda-driven. We ask this question because born-again believing Christians are not worshipping pagan deities by participating in the birth of Christ called Christmas today. I spoke to a Torah Keeping brother who said, "Yes, Christmas is pagan." I asked how that could be, and he shared, "when you put a present under the tree, you are 'bowing' down to the tree." I was stunned. The logic he displayed defied logic. Yeah, no. Worshipping a pagan deity requires one to engage the diety knowingly.
In our research, there were pagan celebrations that started around the time of 274 AD, but they appear to be in response to Christians in Rome celebrating the birth of Christ! We then ask what came first, the "chicken or the egg?"
"However, it has also been argued that, on the contrary, Emperor Aurelian, who in 274 instituted the holiday of the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, did so partly as an attempt to give a pagan significance to a date already important for Christians in Rome.[76]
Is the nearness of a pagan holiday make Christmas pagan? When I sift through the concerns of 'Christmas is pagan,' people, did you know there was a pagan holiday at this time? We will deal with this later, but does that make celebrating the birth of Christ pagan today? Let's ask another question: Is Hanukkah pagan? The answer is no. Yet, Hanukkah is square in the middle of this pagan holiday called Saturnalia. The true church pushed hard against these wicked holidays, and to assume born-again believers were participating in pagan festivals doesn't make much sense since Christians had to live outside of society for several hundred years because of severe persecution.
Calling Christmas pagan because of the nearness of the same period of a pagan holiday would be the same as calling Easter (the resurrection of Christ) and Passover pagan. The proximity does not work because a pagan spring festival may happen around the same time.
We can confidently say that born-again believers would not have observed a pagan holiday and dishonored our Lord Jesus Christ, who rescued us from sin and death. Born-again believers do not participate in pagan rituals today, and Christmas is about the birth of Christ.
When was the birth of Christ?
- According to Luke, the shepherds were in the fields with their sheep, which some scholars say can happen twice yearly. Here are some clues.
- No crops would be in the fields because sheep can devastate crops: Winter is likely due to cold and rain and is free of crops but can be miserable. According to Luke, the shepherds were staying in the fields. However, shepherds could still be in the areas during winter with good tents. I will link a video below of William Federer's excellent research, which I found just after writing this piece, which shows the shepherds were out most of the year because the shepherds were raising sheep for the temple sacrifices.
- Another time the shepherds may be in the fields is early summer after the wheat harvest, which is late April to June.
- The Roman Caesar may not call for a worldwide census in the winter, thus making travel difficult.
- Dr. Baruch Korman of loveisrael.org indicates a definite break between verses in the Greek language in Luke 1:26. That "in the sixth month" of the Jewish year, the angel Gabriel visited Mary. He has a video and believes the time of the Lord's birth is at the beginning of the summer. Baruch's view is that the sixth month of the Jewish year. He says that the 6th month is Elul and that Jesus was born in the month of Sivan. Here is his video. Judaism has two "firsts of the year" with different focuses; thus, there are two sixth months, Adar and Elul.
- Our research from Jewish sites shows that the sixth month of the Jewish calendar is Adar, which corresponds to February and March of our calendar. This may be why early Christians thought December to early January was the date of birth of our Lord.
- However, the plain reading of scripture in Luke 1:26 and beyond is the text's focus on the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy. The contextual reading is focused on Mary's pregnancy also. The conclusion may be why scholars say "we don't know" the date of birth of Christ. Dr. Daniel Goepfrich of Theology is for Everyone confirmed my study on this matter. And this makes sense since the whole concept is not about a date but about a Who!
- Before 400 AD and after, many early Christians viewed March 25 as Christ's conception date (in the month of Adar); thus, nine months later was December 25. Is December 25 the actual date? Not sure, but are we focused on dates or the birth of Christ? Some anti-Christmas people concentrate on the dates because pagan holidays appeared around those dates in December. Thus, they need to link the celebration of Christmas with pagan holidays to bolster their claims that Christmas is pagan and call you a pagan for celebrating Christmas.
- Are "near" dates of pagan holidays worshiping the return of the sun synonymous with the birth of Christ? No. Why? Because we are not pagans and we are not celebrating pagan deities, we are celebrating the birth of Christ, and neither were the early Christians.
Conclusion. We will focus on the birth of Christ currently and not conflate the past to today.
"Certainly today, the mix of consumerism (AKA Santa Claus) can take people's eyes off Christ, but our job is to bring them back to the salvation message of the Gospel. Will you join us?"
Christmas is a Roman Catholic tradition and is celebrated around the pagan holiday of Saturnalia; thus, Christmas is pagan.
Note: In our extensive research, we stumbled upon a Wikipedia article. We usually would bypass Wikipedia as higher education frowns on the use of Wikipedia; however, this article has stood the test of time (2001) and is updated continually, even in 2021. Once you dive into the article, you will see the extent and expanse of the research on Christmas. Those who are "anti-Christmas" will find information to support their premises.
"Got you, Biblestudycompany…see, Christmas is pagan". Well, no, and not so fast. This Wikipedia article is excellent on Christmas and is thorough for a balanced perspective.
Here are some highlights:
- What does the name Christmas mean? For example, we celebrate the birth of Christ, and that is our focus. However, some insist on focusing on Christmas as a Roman Catholic tradition. From this article is the definition of the origins of the name Christmas:
"Christmas" is a shortened form of "Christ's mass." The word was recorded as Crīstesmæsse in 1038 and Cristes-messe in 1131.[22] Crīst (genitive Crīstes) is from Greek Khrīstos (Χριστός), a translation of Hebrew Māšîaḥ (מָשִׁיחַ), "Messiah," meaning "anointed";[23][24] and mæsse is from Latin missa, the celebration of the Eucharist.[25]”
- Christians celebrated the birth of Christ long before the Roman Catholic Church formally began. The first few hundred years after Christ, the Christians did not celebrate birthdays of any kind, and thus, the logic goes, would not have celebrated Christ's birth. The first record is from Saint Augustine.
"December 25 was the winter solstice date in the Roman calendar.[16][53] A late fourth-century sermon by Saint Augustine explains why this was a fitting day to celebrate Christ's nativity: "Hence it is that He was born on the day which is the shortest in our earthly reckoning and from which subsequent days begin to increase in length. He, therefore, who bent low and lifted us chose the shortest day, yet the one whence light begins to increase." [54]
We conclude by the historical facts that the Roman Catholic Church was not in existence at the beginning of Christian recognition of the birth of Christ.
- When was the Roman Catholic Church founded? Why do we ask? One argument against Christmas is that Christmas is Roman Catholic, and our research shows this is incorrect. Several sources agree with this website.
"The Roman Emperor Constantine established himself as the head of the church around 313 A.D., which made this new "Christianity" the Roman Empire's official religion. The first actual Pope in Rome was probably Leo I (440-461 A.D.), although some claim that Gregory I was the first (Pope) (590-604 A.D.). This ungodly system eventually ushered in the darkest period known to man, called the "Dark Ages" (500-1500 A.D.). Through popes, bishops, and priests, Satan ruled Europe, and Biblical Christianity became illegal."
Conclusion: Catholicism was not the leading purveyor of Christmas traditions.
- A thorough reading of the Wikipedia article, which is well-sourced, shows many conflicting beginnings for Christmas celebrations. A prominent theme in the report is the worldwide trajectory of celebrations of Christmas. Today, the traditions hobbled and wobbled through history and today are celebrated in their current form. We marvel at the sticking power of the Gospel contained in the birth of Christ to a predominantly gentile world. Is this God ordained for the opportunity to share the Gospel with the church? We think so. Or are some who focus on getting people not to celebrate the birth of Christ missing an opportunity for the Gospel? Yes.
- Atheist countries tried to "stomp" out Christmas. The current attacks by believers on Christmas as pagans remind us of atheist countries. We wonder about the agenda of those who attack the Christmas celebration, and we think there is an anti-church and anti-Gospel sentiment buried within.
- What about the "Christmas tree is pagan"? No. Some will point to Jeremiah 10 as proof that Christmas trees as pagan. However, a contextual reading of scripture shows this is false, and one must "read into" the scripture that the Christmas tree is pagan. Besides, the Christmas tree is relatively recent in its current form. We are serious about interpreting scripture correctly instead of twisting scripture.
- Are we celebrating a pagan holiday today? No. Regardless of historical narratives by anti-Christmas, anti-birth of Christ people, they are not presenting the history correctly. The nearness of the celebration of the birth of Christ to ancient pagan holidays has no bearing on our celebration today.
- What about the mistletoe, yule log, etc. didn't the pagans use them? But what about today? Are they used to worshiping deities? No. Valentine's day was a horrible pagan festival, and the Christians turned it into a worldwide romance day. Believe me; if I find a mistletoe and my wife is under it, she will get kissed!
- Could the celebration of Christmas give us the one-month opportunity each year to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and what He has done for all of humanity? Is the entire world's focus on Christ at this time of the year a gift from God for the Gospel? We think so. Indeed, today, the mix of consumerism (AKA Santa Claus) can take people's eyes off Christ, but our job is to bring them back to the salvation message of the Gospel. Will you join us?
- William Federer's video has an excellent history of Christmas traditions from ancient times to today.
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Celebrating birthdays is pagan. No. Many ancient cultures did not celebrate birthdays, but many did. And no, celebrating birthdays is not pagan. We are honoring a person. Where are the deities?
Christmas is not a biblical holiday.
"And therefore, we should not celebrate the birth of Christ." To that, we would say, "tell that to the angels engaging the shepherds because heaven celebrated the birth of God's Son!" Luke 2:2-14
"And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
Note: the words Good News are translated from Greek
Original word: εὐαγγελίζω
Transliteration: euaggelizó
Definition (short): preach
Description (complete): to announce good news
Yep, evangelize during Christmas. There are hurting hearts at this time of the year, and many blindly celebrate a holiday not connected to Christ's birth. Let us help people relate it to Christ, our Savior.
If not Christmas, what should we celebrate instead? Some would say we should celebrate Hanukkah to return to our Jewish roots. Hanukkah was not part of the Gospel, and the birth of Christ IS part of the Gospel.
We encourage everyone everywhere to ask God whether one should participate in the celebration of the birth of Christ. We say YES! We can confidently push back on anti-Christmas and anti-birth of Christ people with correct historical and biblical facts.
Worldwide focus on Christ
During this time of the year, people are open to the Gospel for nearly one month. Do we let this opportunity slide through our fingers? In Matthew 28, our commission is to go and make disciples. To make a disciple, we must present the Gospel first. Will we waste our time arguing over the birth of Christ, whether it is pagan or not? To this, we say that people saying Christmas or the celebration of the birth of Christ is pagan are avoiding the Gospel! Why? Who in the spiritual realm attacks the Gospel and wants it destroyed? Satan. Think about this tidbit. Imagine a worldwide focus on Christmas, even in Buddhist countries. Why not present the Gospel at this time of the year? As Paul said, his focus was on getting people reconciled to God. (2Cor 5:18-21)
God promised by the first prophecy in Genesis 3:15 that a Savior would come:
"15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."
The Accuser is bound and determined to use people, even with good intentions, to stop the message of the Gospel of Salvation. We use the word accusation intentionally because people who celebrate traditional Christmas are called pagans. A severe charge but, fortunately, untrue.
God is a God of prophecy. He wants us to know what is coming. He answered His word and has "healing in His wings" to "reconcile us to God." There are no other holy books that contain prophetic words fulfilled!
Let's celebrate the Birth of Christ and spread the Gospel this season!
Every Christmas season is a literal miracle that this holiday (holy day) is focused worldwide on Jesus Christ, our Savior. Even the Wikipedia article acknowledges this undeniable fact.
Let us turn aside from the poor handling of scripture and agenda-driven history "facts" and focus on the birth of Christ and sharing the Good news of His coming to rescue us from our sin, thus giving us eternal life without works and fear; in the blood of Christ!
What can you and your family do to share the love of Christ with a hurting world this Christmas season? Here is one video that touches our hearts when we watch it.
Feel free to share the resources.
Bibliography
Melton, James. "The Plain Truth about the Roman Catholic Church." biblebelievers.com. Bible Baptist Publications, 1998. https://biblebelievers.com/jmelton/Catholic.html.
Wikipedia Contributors. "Christmas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 31, 2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas.
———. "Christmas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 31, 2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas
Sources for further research
William Federer: There is a Santa Claus - History of Saint Nicholas & Christmas Holiday Traditions
by Amazon.com Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0965355748/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_QVM4MJF835RK35KMWAHR
Christmas has nothing to do with paganism: Red pen logic
Was December 25 the date of Christ's birth? The Greek Orthodox church thinks so.
Mike Winger on Christmas:
1. Is Christmas PAGAN? In defense of Christmas
3. Stop Twisting Jeremiah 10 Because It's Not About Christmas Trees
4. Alisa Childers on Christmas
5. For the extensive history of Christmas with the discussion of the dates for the birth of Christ, God Became Incarnate James Quiggle by Amazon.com
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/149918669X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_AR6NEZ6XB0TPZ5N1VB90
6. The star of Bethlehem is an excellent movie on the astronomical view of the star. https://youtu.be/55VRdLnkvDw
Views: 187
Jehovah Witnesses: Have you gotten a letter from them or phone call? Here is what to say.
#JW #Jehovah Witness #salvation #Jesus Christ
Recently, I was surprised to get a personal letter in the mail. I did not recognize the name but I was excited nonetheless because I have not seen a handwritten letter in years!
It was from a Jehovah's Witness who was witnessing! Here is the letter.
It was nearly illegible. I read it several times and sent a letter back with the gospel clearly outlined and thanked the person for the letter. I was surprised that within a few days they responded with another letter and a Watch Tower brochure!
I responded and shared more clarity. Here is my letter. You may download the letter here and use it for yourself and change it how you like. If they come to the door you can hand this letter to them.
Please note that JWs do not believe Jesus is God. This is the point of my letter. They only have works-based salvation. They usually cannot articulate the true gospel. 1 Cor 15:1-3
NAME,
Well, I sure was surprised to get your letter! Blessings to you. I am sorry to hear you have Parkinson's. I will pray for you. My point is that your original letter was very hard to read and now I understand why. Your typed letter was very nice. I don't have Parkinson's disease, but my handwriting is not that great. So, typing for me is better. Perhaps consider using the computer for your letters in the future? I appreciated getting it, by the way.
I noticed the WT magazine you gave me makes an apparent distinction between Jehovah the Creator and Christ, His Son. This is problematic for most Christians, as you know. The OT points to Christ, and the Cross causes Christians to look back at our salvation. As I started to read it, the WT mag began where it should with Adam and Eve, but oversimplistic. Adam and Eve sinned, and that sin was projected onto us by our very birth. Adam and Eve started sinlessly. But they chose to sin, which is disobedience to God's will. Thus, the Bible says we are all sinners and therefore need salvation. But here is the problem. Only God is sinless. Christ was sinless. If he was only a man and not 100% God and 100% man, none of us, including Adam, are saved. (a true mystery, but the mystery is unlocked when we see that Eve had the egg and the Holy Spirit overshadowed her thus, Christ could be 100% God and 100% man) Why do I say this? Think through what you have been taught. We were all born into sin. How are we saved if there is no propitiation for our sin? That is a fancy word for God erasing our sin because of what Christ did: pay the sin debt to God we had. If Christ were only a human man, He would not be sinless, making His sacrifice null and void. We are not saved. Thus, if someone is a JW, they are not saved by not believing in Christ as God.
Here is why I can say this from Scripture: Now remember back at the prophecy that God Himself made to Adam and Eve in Gen 3? That a Seed of Eve would be coming: https://jewsforjesus.org/jewish-resources/messianic-prophecy/the-messiah-would-be-the-seed-of-the-woman/
Most theologians would say that the One Who was speaking in the garden was the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because the Gospel of John says in John 1:1 that He is the Word of God in the Greek:
https://biblestudycompany.com/reader/verse?version=interlinear&book=43&chapter=1&verse=1
Notice that this does not match the NWT, which is altered to say that Christ was "a" God to fit the founders' beliefs. Changing scripture to meet an agenda is not good.
Thus, we must always look at the Greek from which the English are derived. God chose the Greek language for the great flexibility to clarify the spoken word to convey a variety of tenses and expressions. The Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty, wanted to reach the gentile world for Christ, which God had abandoned at the tower of Babel to go their way. This was correctly stated in the WT you gave me.
Christ was evident to His disciples that He was God. I had a Jehovah witness say that Christ never said He was God. The problem with this comment is the lack of understanding of what the texts noted in the Gospels. I would encourage you to study verses outside of JW teachings, just as I am doing by reading the watchtower you gave me. One hallmark of becoming indoctrinated is only going to the sources we wish rather than being well-rounded. I made it through secular College stronger in my faith even though secular College tried to brainwash me in one world view of evolution vs. creation. Thus, make sure you get info outside of JW sources as well. Make sure that everything you write is from you after you studied, not from others in the JW org. We need to know why we believe what we believe, not just accept what others teach us. The HS is given to us if we are born again (1John 2:26) so that we are not deceived and that no man needs to teach us.
So back to Christ saying He was God. These verses are essential for our salvation.
Jesus said:
"I and the Father are one." John 10:22- https://www.gotquestions.org/I-and-the-Father-are-one.html
I Am… Christ said many times. This was the sacred name of God called Jehovah. Was Christ saying He was Jehovah? Yes, He was. Christ clearly said He was: I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life… https://www.gotquestions.org/seven-I-AM-statements.html
"If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father." A careful reading of the NT and Paul's writings, especially Paul meeting the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, clearly states Christ is God, and He is the word of God. John 1:1. It is not idolatry, as some JWs claim that God has three attributes, all acting according to His character and will. The Hebrew is plural.
Now to the why of these matters: On page 7 of WT, you gave me, it states in the second paragraph, "Jesus said to please God you must control what we feel…." Matthew 5:28. This is not a correct interpretation. It presumes we are to "learn what pleases God and do it," as the WT continued to say. This is "works-based" salvation. Eph 2 says we are saved by grace alone as a gift of God. The Jews were looking to the Messiah, and Christ was the Messiah. They rejected Christ as God, although He was innocent. Are JWs doing the same thing by rejecting Christ as God? I understand that they want to avoid idolatry; however, Christ is the word of God.
How are we saved? We are to put our faith and trust in His finished work on the Cross. As God, only He could fix Adam's sin, and the Old Testament saints' sins and our sins as well in the future. We trust in the Blood of The Lamb, the pattern of Passover, and salvation from Egypt (blood on the doorposts and sacrifices of the little lambs). If Christ was just a good man, then we do not have salvation or forgiveness of sins. NAME, think of that. And contemplate it.
This Friday evening, we were in Ocala on the square. We were witnessing to people the Good News of Jesus Christ being God and that we are saved by faith in His work on the Cross. We ran into a Muslim who tried to witness to us. But interestingly, he said that: "We worship the Creator…" almost identical to what you said in your letter! What do JWs have in common with Muslims? They do not believe that Jesus is God Almighty. And thus, they need to do "good deeds," as the WT was saying. "Learn what God wants and do it" page 7 second paragraph. This is truly bad news vs. the Gospel which is Good News. If it is about good works, why did God need to die for us? God saved us… we did not save ourselves. And the WT appears to be advocating our works of good deeds rather than faith in Christ. Paul says that these are wages owed to us by God if this was the case, but they are not. Paul said all our works based on trying to gain God's approval to be saved are "filthy rags" to God. But these are religious works from our souls. Who are we? Sinners and we are not God. We need to do what God wants from us, which is to believe in Him... If we are sinners by nature through Adam, how are we to be saved? 1 Cor 15:1-3 says how.
Back to Eve. Remember, God (Christ) gave Adam and Eve a promise. A Seed (singular) was coming. So, Mary was chosen. She had a human egg. The Holy Spirit overshadowed her. The HS is God. And as Creator (Gen 1:2), He created a child with God's sinless nature and had the nature of a man except with no sin. That way, He could offer Himself and do what Adam did not do, which was obeying the will of God (go to the Cross to fix our sin debt, and when Adam broke the law (do not eat of the fruit…), Adam broke fellowship with his Father by not doing God's will. Christ said, "I come to do the will of My Father in Heaven." Why Christ says, "I came to do the will of My Father…" what is Christ saying? That God was His Father! This is another God statement. If He were just a man, he would be like you and me? The text says the Father, Son and Spirit are One. So, Jesus is God. Good thing NAME because if He is not, we are not saved. Disprove me from scripture? But make sure you do it, not other JWs working with you. This letter is solely mine.
So, you can now see the good news of the Gospel. We are sinful. He is not. By faith and trust, we place our sin on the Lord Jesus Christ, Who paid our sin debt for Adam, the OT saints, and us and continues to intercede for us and the future of people who will be saved. Will you?
As Paul went through the Roman world, He preached this same Gospel. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.
So NAME, will you accept the forgiveness of your sin and be born again to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord God? John 3. This is a command of the Lord Jesus Christ, so please read that in the NWT.
Thank you for your letters. It was a pleasure to get yours. I will be praying for your Parkinson's and for your heart to be saved. Let me know what you decide.
May the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Father, and the Holy Spirit open our eyes to Him in our hearts. Eph 1. We need to study the Word of God ourselves and not what others teach us. It is ok to question men. We can go to God and start asking Him questions directly. So please do. And the first question is: "Jehovah, is Jesus Christ God? Will you show me? My salvation is at stake. I love You and do not want to miss anything that You have for me".
Or if you are convinced, He is God, and you can pray a sincere prayer based on scripture: "Lord Jesus, I want to please You. I recognize you are God Almighty and that You chose to die as a sinless person knowing You did not sin, but I am a sinner. I place, by faith, all of my sins on You. You were raised from the dead for my promise of eternal life, a free gift, as Eph 2 says. Will You cause me to be born again to eternal life? Please save me in Jesus's Name".
Place your trust, hope, and sin on the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says, "all things are made through Him, and He holds all things together." (col) Only God can do that!
NAME, be born again as Christ commanded in John 3, Blessings to you.
Ric and Mary Joyner
4621 SE 33rd place
Ocala, FL 34480
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