Where Do We Draw the Line?

This is my first official blog, and hopefully worth it.

I would like to start by saying that I am a believer, in God and the Messiah of Israel, Yeshua. I believe with perfect trust that Bible is the written word of God and is valid in its entire content.

Alrighty Then, with that said, what standards are we as believers to stand in, and live by? I know that most would say "The Bible", and rightly so, it should be. I, however, have seen a large scale departure from such a standard. This may not be a surprise to anyone as "the world" or secular society is predominant in the body these days. With humanistic thinking being taught from some of the largest, most well know pulpits in the world. Let me explain, if anyone teaches a position of "you" can be a better you, or that self introspection is the way to get closer to God, this is humanism at its highest. Biblically, it says that we are to sacrifice ourselves to the Lord, less of me more of God, not my will but yours Lord. What happened to that? Unfortunately, this is not new, at all. The children of God, the Jewish people, have been living a double standard since their creation. Saying, your way O' God then worshipping a golden calf, God sating that He is their King then murmuring that they wanted a king like all the other nations, always deciding that they know better. The world, and the Prince of it, Satan, always finds its way into the house of God. I should say gets invited in.

Here are a few prime examples of the world in the body: man centered "praise" music, if it is true praise it is scripturally sound and upward focused, not "what can you do for me O' Lord". Worldly counseling, when someone counsels someone to "look deeper" into themselves, or focuses blame on the person with the issues, or worse, label a person. If you used to drink for a living, but gave it up 10 years ago, you are not an alcoholic, especially if you accepted the blood atonement for your sin. Here is another classic tag, ADD, almost all "ADD" people are male, maybe God created boys to be adventurous, and explorer, hunter, gatherer, protectors, and the world wants them to be docile, compliant, and feminine. Now, on to outright cultic practices accepted widely in the body. I want to start by saying that some of this is not outwardly evil, and that everyone that practices any of it is evil. What better ways to get a foothold in someone's life than with something apparently harmless, and possibly healthy. OK, I will start with the not so widely practiced things. Yoga, sounds healthy, has many physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects that are appealing to anyone that has had physical, emotional, or spiritual issues. BUT, big But, it is NOT at all something that a believer should be involved in. It Is a Hindu ritual with each move being a move for one of their many gods. There is the large scale argument that God can make anything Holy, or sanctified. Yes, he could, but do you think he does just because we want it to be? A BIG NO! Now on to all the Pagan Holidays that has been called the Christian holidays for more than a thousand years. I want to open this one with the objections, first, God knows our hearts and we are doing it to and for his glory, second, It may have been pagan at one time but now it is not. OH BOY! Read through the Old Covenant writings at what God did to his people when they attempted to replace what God set up for what they thought was right. Simply put God does not make bad things good for his benefit, he does reserve the right to have all things work to the glory of him, that is not license to do things the way we see fit. OK, the biggies, Christmas, or Christ Mass, is not even in the correct season for the birth of Messiah, here are the many gods birthdays celebrated on Dec. 25^th, thanks to www.religioustolerance.org.

Roman Pagan Religion: Attis was a son of the virgin Nana. His birth was celebrated on DEC-25. He was sacrificed as an adult in order to bring salvation to mankind. He died about MAR-25, after being crucified on a tree, and descended for three days into the underworld. On Sunday, he arose, as the solar deity for the new season. His followers tied an image of Attis to a tree on "Black Friday," and carried him in a procession to the temple. His body was symbolically eaten by his followers in the form of bread. Worship of Attis began in Rome circa 200 BCE.
Greek Pagan Religion: Dionysus is another savior-god whose birth was observed on DEC-25. He was worshipped throughout much of the Middle East as well. He had a center of worship in Jerusalem in the 1st century BCE. Some ancient coins have been found in Gaza with Dionysus on one side and JHWH (Jehovah) on the other. In later years, his flesh and blood were symbolically eaten in the form of bread and wine. He was viewed as the son of Zeus, the Father God.
Egyptian Pagan Religion: Osiris is a savior-god who had been worshipped as far back as Neolithic times. "He was called Lord of Lords, King of Kings, God of Gods...the Resurrection and the Life, the Good shepherd...the god who 'made men and women be born again'" 5Three wise men announced his birth. His followers ate cakes of wheat which symbolized his body. Many sayings associated with Osiris were taken over into the Bible. This included: 23rd Psalm: an appeal to Osiris as the good Shepherd to lead believers through the valley of the shadow of death and to green pastures and still waters Lord's Prayer: "O amen, who art in heaven..." Many parables attributed to Jesus. Worship of Osiris, and celebration of his DEC-25 birth, were established throughout the Roman Empire by the end of the 1st century BCE.

Persian Pagan Religion: Mithra was a Persian savior. Worship of Mithra became common throughout the Roman Empire, particularly among the Roman civil service and military. Mithraism was a competitor of Christianity until the 4th century. Their god was believed to have been born on DEC-25, circa 500 BCE. His birth was witnessed by shepherds and by gift-carrying Magi. This was celebrated as the "Dies Natalis Solic Invite," The "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun." Some followers believed that he was born of a virgin. During his life, he performed many miracles, cured many illnesses, and cast out devils. He celebrated a Last Supper with his 12 disciples. He ascended to heaven at the time of the spring equinox, about March 21.

The Babylonians celebrated their "Victory of the Sun-God" Festival on DEC-25. Saturnalia (the Festival of Saturn) was celebrated from DEC-17 to 23 in the Roman Empire. The Roman Emperor Aurelian blended Saturnalia with a number of birth celebrations of savior Gods from other religions, into a single holy day: DEC-25. After much argument, the developing Christian church adopted this date as the birthday of their savior, Jesus. The people of the Roman Empire were accustomed to celebrating the birth of a God on that day. So, it was easy for the church to divert people's attention to Jesus' birth.

Now on to Easter, Actually is on about the correct day of the resurrection, it would have been on the first Sunday after Passover started. However, it was the celebration to the Goddess Ostara is also called Eostre, the Goddess of fertility, hence the Eggs and bunnies.

Ok, honestly, not to many "Christian Holidays" or even the change of the Sabbath are based at all on the bible. The Council of Nicaea took care of that for everyone in AD 325. The Emperor Constantine wanted a pure religion free of any Jewishness at all, one accepted by the Pagans he was attracting so the Council saw fit to incorporate Pagan rituals and dates in to this new religion. Sunday is not the Sabbath, or Shabbat, the word even means seventh, which on our calendars is Saturday and has been that way. Can people worship on Sunday and be safe, YES, but the Sabbath has never changed. I would love for someone to show where in the Bible Sunday was called "Holy" or "Set-apart"

Look, I am not trying to "Church Bash" Judaism has a ton wrong with it, and Messianic Judaism is not the be all end all, we are supposed to walk out our salvation with fear and trembling, individually. James said this:

Jas 1:27 EVID

(27) Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Which leads me back to my original question, where do we draw the line?

Our kids are growing up in a Godless world, and now in an almost Godless body, where dating at 13 is OK, where "finding God" in Harry Potter and Twilight are published and read, and worse, promoted. If the body of believers di the bare minimum, hunger, poverty, and social diseases would have no way in, or be quickly dealt with. Theology, Doctrines, and Religion has nothing on a personal relationship with the God who knew you before the foundations of the Earth. Tolerance is NOT acceptance, when we accept a lie, we live that lie. I tolerate that many people "feel, think, or believe" that what they are doing is right, I will not accept it.

I have personally drawn a line, and that line is written in black and white and sometimes red, and it is called the Bible