"The term "Ostern" (Easter) originates from an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn, who is named "Eastre", "Eostre", or "Ostara". Eostre, apparently is a European version of Astarte/Isis and some even associate her with the Hindu goddess Kali. Eostara is a lunar holiday, honoring a lunar Goddess at the Verna Full Moon." (www.lifetips.com)
"Spring is in the air! Flowers and bunnies decorate the home. Father helps the children paint beautiful designs on eggs dyed in various colors. These eggs, which will later be hidden and searched for, are placed into lovely, seasonal baskets. The wonderful aroma of the hot cross buns mother is baking in the oven waft through the house....Easter, right? No! This is a description of an ancient Babylonian family - 2,000 years before Christ - honoring the resurrection of their god, Tammuz, who was brought back from the underworld by his mother/wife, Istar (after whom the festival was named.) (www.icg.org)
"...the origin of the name of the holiday was from a goddess. She has gone by a myriad of different names, Ostern, Eostre, Ishtar, Astarte, Eastre, and Ashtaroth, but they are all one and the same: the goddess of fertility, the "Queen of Heaven", Semiramis (the wife of Nimrod in the Bible).
The ancient Babylonians looked at it as a sacred symbol of the goddess Astarte (another name for Easter and Semiramis), they believe that she came down the earth in a giant egg that fell upon the Euphrates river. The egg is her symbol. She is said to have come out of this egg on the first Sunday after the spring equinox at sunrise.
So, how did [the] this become a "Christian" holiday? The original believers celebrated Passover, which was celebrated around the same time as the pagan festival of Easter...In order to better unify his empire, emperor Constantine instituted a few declarations....He then began a process of compiling various celebrations that took place at the same time into single festivals. Easter is one such example. He kept the name and traditions of the pagan side of it, but also said that it was the same day that the Christ was raised from the dead. He melted the two into one. The day that we currently celebrate Easter is even the same day that Astarte was said to have come out of an egg." (www.branchesofthevine.wordpress.com)
"Celebrating the resurrection of a deceased deity in a springtime festival also long predates Christianity. Chief among such celebrations were those in honor of Tammuz, the Babylonian "god of pasture and flocks...and of vegetation. He was husband and brother of Istar (Asherah), goddess of fertility." (www.ucg.org)
"For Christians, the origin of Easter is simply the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ about 2,000 years ago. According to the gospel accounts, Jesus Christ, the true Messiah promised in the Old Testament, was crucified and resurrected at the Jewish Passover. Since that awesome event took place, those who believe Christ is their Messiah have honored that day and often celebrated it with the traditional Passover, the pagan rites of Easter gradually became assimilated into what the Christian Church called "Resurrection Day."
Compromising the commandments of God with the comfort of the world is as old as the nation of Israel itself." (www.allaboutjesuschrist.org)
The resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is never to be compromised or replaced by pagan symbols and worship. It is my prayer that all who have a personal relationship with Jesus and honor His resurrection, leave the pagan worship alone. The Life that is celebrated is the Lords. Bunnies, eggs and vegetation sprouts are to be kept into their proper perspective and admired as such.
Resurrection Day
The Parable Of The Ten Virgins
"For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving into marriage...they knew nothing about what would happen...That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man...Keep watch...you must also be ready...The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of...At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom..." (Matthew 24:38-50, 25:1) (italics added)
"Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' But while they were on their way to buy the oil. the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' [You will not be known if you do not prepare.] "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." (Matthew 25:2-13) (Brackets added)
Not only are those who are in Christ Jesus in need to prepare spiritually, day by day, for the coming of the Son, but also physically and mentally for the tribulations that have already begun.
Take heed all those who are of the flock of the Shepard. The time is near for the gathering of His sheep. Listen, watch, and prepare; for the dreadful time of the earth's birth pains are upon us. It will bring those who are not prepared, misery. It will also bring those who are prepared in Christ a time of looking to the heavens for the coming of the Bridegroom. Have your lamps trimmed, filled with oil, and have extra oil on hand. Prepare so your lamp will not run out while in wait...
The parable of the ten virgins is all about our Christ. The Mormon community has decided to take these important verses of scripture and twist them around for their own selfish desires. Here are a couple of examples:
"Our number one responsibility is to see that we are converted, and then to convert others...Be converted, because no one can endure on borrowed light. You will have to be guided by the light within yourself. If you do not have it, you will not stand." (Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye in Holy Places, pg.954)
"Let me say to you, that many of you will see the time when you will have all the trouble, trial and persecution that you can stand, and plenty of opportunities to show you that you are true to God and his work. This [p.450] Church has before it many close places through which it will have to pass before the work of God is crowned with victory. To meet the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves. The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman who does not possess this personal knowledge or witness will fall. If you have not got the testimony, live right and call upon the Lord and cease not till you obtain it. If you do not you will not stand...Remember these sayings, for many of you will live to see them fulfilled. The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light with himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand." (Orson R. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, p.450)
The above title is linked to a very good web site that shows that the time of our Lord is extremely close. Please take the time to read it.
A Consolation Of The Lord
The nation of Judah "rejected the fountain of living waters, having for themselves leaking cisterns, and the deity is determined to punish the sinners by sending Babylon against them." (www.answers.com/topic/ jeremiah-). The people of Judah, a chosen people, forgot God and worshiped idols and their own sinful nature. As a result, God's anger was kindled into taking action against His children.
Jeremiah remained fearful and faithful to God, and warned the people that God will punish them by destroying the Kingdom of Judah. Yet, God promised the Kingdom of Judah that if they return to Him, He will be merciful and return the people to Zion.
*A Note On Zion:
Zion, a "rocky scarp at the point of the E. ridge between Kidron and the Tyropoeon valleys..." It is the place that King David's men took a hold of by "stealth" means. It is where David built his palace and erected a tent for the arch. It is also his burial home. Zion was transformed from a " fortress-stronghold" to a "holy site." This rocky steep slope became what is known as the "Holy Hill" and the "Habitation of the Lord." This is where He must be worshiped. The prophet Jeremiah made this clear in his writings; "There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim, 'Come, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.' (Jeremiah 31:6)" (Harper's Bible Dictionary, pg 841)
There is a section of Jeremiah that denotes a consolation often called "Jeremiah's Book of Consolation." This includes the promise that God will put into place a new covenant, "replacing the heart of stone of the people with one of flesh." (www.answers.com/topic/jeremiah-)
The Lord directs His words towards Jacob. The "Lord says: Sing with joy for Jacob. Shout for the foremost of the nations." (Jeremiah 31:7) Jacob is the root for joy and singing when the Kingdom of Judah returns. Jacob is where the focus is. The consolation is for Jacob and his people in a land that had been destroyed by sin.
The consolation of the Lord to His chosen people, the Kingdom of Judah in the house of Jacob, is a testament of God's mercy and love. All of God's people have the promise of a new covenant within a heart of flesh, not stone. Jesus Christ is that new covenant and the circumcised heart of the believer partakes in His chosen people.
God be praised in Jesus Christ, the new covenant, for those who come to Him with a heart of flesh.
In Mormon theology, it is taught that Jeremiah's prophesies are about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They believe that Jeremiah tells the future of :
1. The LDS going from Nauvoo to SLC
2. The Tabernacle Choir
3. Rocky Mountains are "choice"
4. Fast and Testimony meetings
5. Church Dances
6. Missionary Work
Mormonism is not spoken of in Jeremiah, but Christ and His people, with a heart of flesh, are.
It's another example of the twisted cultish way of thinking by the authorities within Mormonism.
Christ - An Ensign For The Nations
"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit." (Isaiah 11:1)
"In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria from lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel, he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth." (Isaiah 11:10-12)
The above verses of scriptures are a part of what is known as the "Nazarene prophesies of Isaiah." The verses speak of a shoot, Branch, or Root from the 'stump' of Jesse, which will stand as a banner or ensign, for all peoples. All who know of this 'banner' will rally to him because his place of rest is glorious. He will gather together his own, those exiles of Israel (spiritual Israel) and the scattered people of Judah (the real Jews).
THIS SHOOT, BRANCH, AND ROOT IS JESUS CHRIST, THE NAZARENE.
In a missionary reference library book titled, "A Marvelous Work And A Wonder," by Legrand Richards, has a chapter addressing the above scripture from Isaiah:
"When the Angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith during the night of September 21, 1823, he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah and emphasized that it was soon to be fulfilled... When the Angel Moroni informed Joseph Smith, not yet eighteen years of age, that these events were about to come to pass and that the Lord would use him as an instrument in their accomplishment, it truly was a great assignment for a youth of his age... nearly thirteen years after the Angel Moroni had quoted to Joseph Smith the eleventh chapter of Isaiah indicating that it was about to be fulfilled. We quote from the account of these visitations:
"After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes form the land of the north." (D&C110:1)" (A Marvelous Work And A Wonder, Legrand Richards, Deseret Book Company, SLC, 1976, Chapter 15, The Gathering of Israel, pgs 202&203)
I can't make it clear enough to show how self righteous Mormon theology is. Not one utterance of Jesus Christ whom the scripture speaks of, rather, Mormons want Joseph Smith to have all the praise.
The apostle Paul makes reference to the eleventh chapter of Isaiah to show that the prophesy had been fulfilled in Christ Jesus our Savior:
"For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written; "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name." Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples." And again, Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him." May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:8-13)
The words of Legrand Richards are blaspheme to the Lord, and the endorsement of such sin by the Mormon church is a whore to God. May the God of us all have mercy on them....
The Race to Harvest
We, who have been grafted in to the eternal Vine of life, and have sluffed off the cloak of our sinful nature, now have become joyful slaves to the great and merciful Master. We delight in His ways and wonders. We have thrown away everything that hinders us and cast away the sin that so easily entangles. It makes way for the race of perseverance before us with our eye single to our Lord. He who ran the most exhausting race anyone could ever endure and finish with such perfection that He is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Our Master has given all of us the perfect example of how to endure all aspects of our race of perseverance so that we will not grow weary and lose heart. His Word has been given to us, His sons, for Godly encouragement. Therefore, do not be surprised then when Holy discipline enters our lives. Do not make light of the Lord's discipline, yet, at the same time, do not lose heart, because the Lord disciplines those he loves.
Our slavery to the Master is one that is humble, meek and undeserving. Our path is one that must be endured to the end. We now belong to the family of God and our Father disciplines those He loves. We should submit to our Father and live!
All discipline, at the time it is given, hurts. Just remember that the pain is short lived as long as we do not lose sight of our Savior, the One who endured all and never sinned. Keep pressing on towards the goal that leads towards a harvest of righteousness and peace. (Hebrews 12:1-12)
God bless all Christian brothers and sisters who are in the race that leads to the most excellent bounty of all.
A Hard Gospel
"Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." (Revelation 22:17 NIV)
Our risen Christ has arms stretched out with a free gift in hand. He offers it to all impoverished sinners. The gift is salvation, and it's totally free. What wonderfully good news that is for us all. The offering is free, the taking is free. But was it really free?
The cost of salvation came at the greatest price in all of humanity, ever. "It cost the Word, who from the unbegun beginning was God and face-to-face as an equal in the Holy Trinity, the humiliation of exile from the throne room of the universe, the renunciation of the glory and majesty which had been His, and the acceptance of an identification with humanity so complete that He must forever remain the Son of man-a circumstance from which there can be no retreat in all eternity to come." (1)
This free gift, salvation, not only came at a high price to Jesus Christ, it comes at a great price to us lowly sinners. We who take the free gift of salvation must make a complete surrender of self in order to completely be "crucified with Christ and to live is Christ." Not only is Jesus Savior of the soul, He is Lord of life.
"The Gospel of Christ, though a comfortable Word, is in a sense "a hard gospel." Jesus warned His hearers that the cost of discipleship is dear.... The gift of salvation is costly. It cost God more than heaven can declare. It cost Jesus the cross. It costs everyone who receives it the total submission of self in the acceptance of the rightful claims of Jesus on the lives and souls of all who would be His for time and eternity.
Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken-
Thou, from hence, my all shalt be.
Perish every fond ambition,
All I've sought and hoped and known;
Yet how rich is my condition:
God and heaven are now my own!
Henry F. Lyte (adapted)" (2)
1&2: Life in the Son, Robert Shank, Westcott Publishers, Pgs. 14-16
Gethsemane or The Cross
Our beloved, blessed risen Christ came to this physical place, earth, to be a sin offering to God. "Christ in His death fully satisfied the demands of a righteous God for judgment upon sinners and, as their infinite sacrifice, proved a ground not only for the believer's forgiveness, but for his justification and sanctification." (1) As the role and purpose of what a loving Father in Heaven had laid out for this earth shifted, a redeemer was necessary to suffer, bleed, and die for all of mankind. Without a sacrificial lamb for all sinners, the purpose of God for us would have been frustrated. Forever changed. Our Lord covered Himself in an earthly tent to become a ransom for us, and when the time came, suffering had begun.
It is thought by some that the 'true' suffering for our sins came by the way of Gethsemane and not the cross. On the Mount of Olives, within the garden, our Lord chose a solitude place where His petition to a just God commenced. In light of the near future events, the earthly form in which the Savior of the world wore, sustained grievous sorrows in His soul. So agonizing, even to the point of death, was the thought of the crucifixion, Christ fell face down and prayed, "Oh my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." (2)
And so it begins. The path from the "oil press" or Gethsemane, opened the gate to the rocky, unforgiving road to a detestable lowly hill, "The place of the Skull," or Mount Calvary. It was at this place where the Savior suffered for our sins. The death of the sacrificial lamb, poured out the blood of that lamb once and for all. Jesus Christ suffered, bled, and died to appease a just God, saving us from certain death.
What love, what compassion, what feeling the Master had for us. "For if, when we were made enemies, now were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." (3)
The cross is where Jesus died and is where our sins were atoned for. The cross is where our blessed Lord and Savior suffered for the sins of the world. "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (4)
Let it be known to all that "at the very instant the blessed Jesus resigned his soul into the hands of his heavenly Father, the veil of the temple was miraculously rent from the top to the bottom..." (5) "It is finished;" that is, the work of man's redemption is accomplished; the great work, which the only-begotten Son of God came into the world, to perform is finished." (6)
It is the Cross not Gethsemane that is significant to God fearing Christians. It is the Cross that carried our Savior through the single most important purpose in His ministry as foretold by the prophets of old. It is the Cross that is forever embedded into a Christan's heart.
1.Jesus Christ our Lord, John F. Walvoord, Moody Press, Chicago, 1977, pgs. 162-163.
2.Matthew 26:39
3.Romans 5:10
4.Galatians 6:14
5.Life of Christ, John Fleetwood, publisher and year unknown, pgs. 138-139.
6.IBID
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
"He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:48&49)
The family of Christ is with those who are His disciples, not flesh and blood.
Christ: Is The Fullness Of Times
The various contributions that aided in bringing in the fullness of times.
"Environment
Political Contributions of Romans
1.Developed a sense of the unity of mankind under a universal law.
2.The extension of Roman imperial power during the period of empire building a period of peaceful development occurred in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean.
3.Developed an excellent system of roads radiating out from the golden milestone in the Roman forum to all parts of the empire.
4.The role of the Roman army in the development of the ideal of a universal organization and in the spread of the gospel
5.Roman conquests led to a loss of belief by many peoples in their gods because the gods had not been able to keep them from defeat by the Romans.
The conclusion that the Roman Empire provided a political environment favorable to the spread of Christianity in the days of its infancy.
Intellectual contributions of Greeks
1.The universal gospel was in need of a universal language if it was to make maximum impact on the world.
2.Greek philosophy prepared for the coming of Christianity by destroying the older religions.
3.The Greek people also contributed in a religious way to making the world ready to accept the new Christian religion when it appeared.
Both the Greek and Roman systems of philosophy and religion thus made a contribution to the coming of Christianity by destroying the old polytheistic religions and by showing the inability of human reason to reach God. The mystery religions, to which many turned, accustomed the people to think in terms of sin and redemption. This when Christianity appeared, people within the Roman Empire were more receptive to a religion that seemed to offer a spiritual approach to life.
Religious contributions of the Jews
Religious contributions to the "fullness of the time" include those of the Greek and Roman as well as those of the Jew. But however great may have been the contributions of Athens and Rome to Christianity by way of environment, the contributions of the Jew stand forth as the heredity of Christianity. Christianity may have developed in the political milieu of Rome and may have had to face the intellectual environmental created by the Greek mind, but its relationship to Judaism was much more intimate. Judaism may be thought of as the stalk on which the rose of Christianity was to bloom.
The Jewish people, in contrast to the Greeks, did not seek to discover God by processes of human reason. They assumed His existence and readily granted to Him the worship that they felt was His due. They were influenced toward this course by the fact that God sought them and revealed Himself to them in history by His appearances to Abraham and the other great leaders of the race. Jerusalem became the symbol of a positive religious preparation for the coming of Christianity.
Salvation was to by, indeed, "of the Jews," as Christ told the Woman at the well (John 4:22). From this tiny captive nation, situated on the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, a Savior was to come. Judaism provided the heredity of Christianity and, for a time, even gave the infant religion shelter.
A.Monotheism=Judaism existed in striking contrast to the generality of pagan religions by its emphasis on a sound spiritual monotheism.
B.Messianic Hope=The Jews offered to the world the hope of a coming Messiah who would bring righteousness to the earth.
C.Ethical System=In the moral part of the Jewish law, Judaism also offered to the world the purest ethical system in existence.
D.Old Testament Scriptures=The Jewish people still further prepared the way for the coming of Christianity by providing the infant church with its message, the Old Testament.
E.Philosophy of History=The Jews made possible a philosophy of history by insisting that history had meaning.
F.The Synagogue=The Jews also provided an institution that was most useful in the rise and development of early Christianity.
The matters that have been discussed show how favored Christianity was, both as to time and region, in the period of its emergence. At no other time in the world's history before the coming of Christ was such a large region under one law and government. The Mediterranean world also had one culture, centering in Rome.
One universal language made it possible to give the gospel to mast of the people of the empire in a tongue common to them and to the new religion, had a strategic location in this world. Paul was right in emphasizing that Christianity was not something "done in a corner"(Acts 26:26), because Palestine was an important crossroads linking the continents of Asia and Africa with Europe by a land route. Many of the most important battles of ancient history were fought for possession of this strategic area. In the period of Christianity's birth and during the first three centuries of its existence, conditions were more favorable for its spread throughout the Mediterranean world than at any other time in the ancient or medieval eras--Such is also the opinion of the worlds leading scholar of missions.
Throughout the contribution of the Greek and Roman environment and through the heritage of Judaism, the world was prepared for "the fullness of the time" when God sent forth His Son to bring redemption to a war-torn and sin-weary humanity. It is significant that of all the religions practiced in the Roman Empire at the time of Christ's birth, only Judaism and Christianity have been successful in surviving the changing course of human history." (Christianity Through the Centuries, A History of the Christian Church, Earle E. Cairns, Zondervan Publishing House, Chapter One, pp.35-43)
The Fullness of Times has been here for a very long time, even prior to the claim of Joseph Smith, Jr, who by his own thoughts, conceived the notion of a restoration during his time. The long quote above shows how Christ, our Savior IS "The Fullness of Times."
Christ became 'the fullness of the time" and is still, and always will be, "the fullness of times." For He is the beginning and the end, alpha and omega, Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13.
