Paganism in Christianity Today

Nearly everything in our culture has been framed around paganism of one sort or another. All my life I had the mentality of "why" do we do this or that, as you can imagine it caused people to be angry with me all the time. Most people don't want to be asked "why" because they love what they are familiar with whether or not it is true.

Can anyone reading this name something that they were taught and used all your lives that you discovered to be rooted in paganism?

I would be interested in how many people have evaluated something in their lives that they discarded because they discovered its roots. Please comment if you remember anything.

A dear friend sent me this in the pm this morning. It led me to comment here about it, here is the message below;

Like

Comment

Share

0 Comments

Anger with God is Blasphemy

Many if not most of us are enduring trials in our lives, some small and some very big, they do not have to control our actions or emotions.

When we ponder the phrase in God's Word; "in Spirit and in Truth" we are comforted by the fact that our Spirit is at peace even when we have physical and emotional trials. This is why we don't have to lean into the "feelings" and the "pain", perhaps even smiling through the pain at times. We can smile because we know there is a purpose, even while we are weeping our heart is joyful.

It is really all about the perspective that drives us, either with great joy from God or anger from self-focus.

Proverbs 3:5-6

"5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

And do not lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight."

Our attitude toward God determines our emotions and action. We can be calm and joyful even through our tears. Emotions are physical responses to difficulties, they do not have to control us. We can admit them, weep through them and remain faithful to God as we cry out to Him for His help and solutions.

We might not even be delivered from our trials but we will not be destroyed because we are leaning into Christ instead of the trial.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

"8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."

The "way" we respond to our trials is a witness to our character and the character of Christ in us.

Back in the 70's Christians were saying it was alright to be angry with God, this was a lie from Satan. To be angry with God is to declare that He doesn't know what He is doing and that we deserve whatever we want. Anyone who has said this phrase or believes in it needs to repent and begin to trust in Christ.

Just Saying!

Anger Just Below the Surface All the Time

Sometimes we are hated by some because they are embarrassed at the shameful way they have treated us. They must believe we are a bad person who deserves ill-treatment in order to abate the feelings of guilt they feel in their own soul.

Those who will not repent from the way they treat others remain in an angry state even while they are laughing or smiling. The anger lurks just below the surface ready to emerge at the slightest perceived provocation.

This is the reason so many unsaved people hate the born-again believer. Those who have not been transformed by Christ are intimidated by those who have been cleansed and saved by Christ, and yet they are stubborn and refuse to have the same forgiveness through repentance. They want to do their own will even when it will cause hatred in themselves and destroy their own lives leading them to hell.

I have witnessed for myself the destruction of the lives of many unsaved people. They would rather have the freedom to destroy their own lives than to submit to a Holy God Who will bring them eternal good.

I have known people who would deliberately ruin their own lives to spite their parents. Once I asked a young man, "so you are willing to throw away your life because you know it makes your parents grieve over you?" His answer was, "I like to fool people", and "it's my life I do what I want."

In discussing this matter with the young man I realized it was time for me to move on leaving him to God. When we encounter this mentality there is nothing more we can do. No discipline, no talking and no indulging them in God's love will cause them to think or act any differently. When I realized my job was done and there was nothing more I could do is when I no longer had hurt feelings and I no longer grieved.

In my opinion, it is foolish to grieve over someone who is making their choice deliberately to ruin their lives in defiance of God. In my life, God comes first always and those who hate Him and us are not a loss when they go away, perhaps even relief that they are no longer around to torment those who love God.

Jesus Christ never remained in the lives of those who rejected Him and neither should we, His example is best to follow. Anyone who pressures you to hang around people who have rejected Christ and you, are not thinking Biblically and perhaps should also be avoided.

Christ comes above all things and all people. He will tell us when to remain and when to go, and His principles in the Bible guide our decisions. Do we believe Him or do we believe a sick and dying culture?

Seeking God First in All Things

If we ponder these scriptures regularly the actions they promote will become a natural and normal part of our life without having to think. When we get to a place where we automatically seek God in everything, then we will be walking with Christ every day the way God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden.

Having conversations with God all day long, and asking for wisdom will bring it abundantly, what a blessing it is when we have heard from God.

James 1:4-6 "…4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.…"

Matthew 6:33

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Hebrews 11:6

"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

1 Chronicles 16:11

"Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!"

Proverbs 8:17

"I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me."

Jeremiah 29:13

"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."

0 Comments

God's Purposes in All Things

During these last two years, I told Christians that God has a purpose for these times of sickness, He was saying; "you were not speaking the gospel as you should have been, therefore I have covered your mouths as a witness against you.

I sought God in these last two years and He said to me; "the church gatherings have twisted my Gospel and turned the houses of prayer into houses of pleasure so I am closing them all that you might seek me in your homes."

Mark 11:17

"And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”

Acts 2:42

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."

He took away our pleasure venues, our ability to spend money wildly for our pleasure, and gave us a fearful time to ponder our need for Him. Just saying!!!!

I witnessed churches becoming more concerned about the loss of their freedom, and the political course of this country than they were about worshiping Christ and speaking the gospel to others.

Do you know what I found? I found that many Christians didn't know how to worship in their own homes. They didn't hold prayer meetings in their homes because they didn't know how to pray. They were embarrassed to mention the name of Jesus Christ to others.

I never heard pastors encouraging their congregants to pray and worship at home. They acted as though worship and prayer could not happen unless there was that man up front in a building somewhere other than their own homes.

Acts 2:42

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

Acts 2:46

"With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart,"

The American church has been turned into political meetings rather than places of worship and prayer. May we repent from our worldly focus of making our nation first above God.

Gnashing of Teeth in Hell

You have heard it said there will be gnashing of teeth in hell, thinking it was from the terrible pain. There will be terrible pain and thirst but the gnashing of teeth is a different matter.

The "gnashing of teeth" is not from fear, in the original language it means intense anger.

Have you ever tried to discipline an angry raging person?

Disciplining a raging person only makes them rage louder. I believe that's what is happening in hell.

Those who hate God will regret going there but not because they rejected Christ, they just don't like the punishment. I believe this from my personal experience with rebellious children.

Discipline does not work to change the heart of one who is angry at God it either makes them hide better or rage even more.

We need discipline in this world to keep the evil people under control so they do not destroy the lives of others, but rarely does it change their hearts into a softer heart that regrets the pain they have caused others.

Notice that most criminals that go to jail regret going there but are only sorry they got caught, not sorry they harmed anyone else.

Have you ever tried to explain to a raging person their sin against someone else? If you have you know they cannot be changed by explanations, this is why God says: "do not answer a fool according to their folly", they refuse to listen, and their rage increases to shout down the truth.

Sometimes we must speak to a fool the truth, but usually because others are listening and they will be the ones who may be helped by our answer.

If we walk in the Spirit of God Who lives in us we will know when to answer and when not to answer.

2 Timothy 3 tells us the mentality of the end times people, it is astounding when we ponder each word and how intense it is against mankind.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

Perilous (ragingly insane) Times Will Come

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."

Trust Christ first and always! Never be guilted into remaining friends with someone who follows the world but claims to be a Christian. We are free to choose our friends and even commanded to remain with those who love and follow Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:33-34 "33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34 Sober up as you ought, and stop sinning; for some of you are ignorant of God. I say this to your shame.…"

Proverbs 13:19-20 "…19 Desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but turning from evil is detestable to fools. 20 He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. "

Those in Christ are His Workmanship

Ephesians 2:10

"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

This passage is very clear, we are not about our own workmanship, we are not about our own ability to be righteous. It is Christ Who works righteousness in us when we have trusted in Him.

When we trust in Christ, what He did for us on that cross, paying for our sin, then is when He begins His work in us.

Those who think they can be good enough in their own effort are not trusting in Christ but in themselves.

Romans 3:20-21 "20 Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin. 21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.…"

We do good works and are changed because Christ is doing the work in us and He is the One changing us. When we have trusted in Christ He changes the way we think, we no longer love sin or our own works. We love what Christ is doing in us and love His righteousness. He gets all the glory while we get none.

Romans 7:7

"What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, "Do not covet."

It was the Law of God that showed us our sinfulness and led us to trust in Christ. Then Christ Who is the very essence of His Own law moved into us. We do not have to "follow" the law it is a part of who we are in Christ.

The Law once condemned us, but after He came to live in us we love His Law. Do we have to make sure we take a drink of water when we are thirsty, no, we automatically take the drink? It is the same with the Law, we obey not because we are trying really hard to do something we do not want to do, just the opposite, we love the Law and do not desire to go against it, it is a part of who we are in Christ.

If our flesh fails us we hate it, we confess to be cleansed and move on toward growing in holiness.

Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"

1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.…"

1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.

We are weak in our flesh at times, our Spirit is that of Christ and we remain secure in Him, however when our flesh sins from weakness we hate it and confess it to be cleansed by Christ Who lives in us.

We grow in direct proportions to how much we confess our failings. Those who will not confess their failings do not grow in holiness. They remain spiritual and emotional infants.

2 Timothy 3:8-10 "…8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith. 9But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone. 10 You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance,…"

Those who adamantly oppose the truth of the Scriptures have never been born again. A "depraved" mind is not one that has been changed by Christ into a new creation.

Those who fight against the truth of Scripture, even attacking believers who bring Scripture to bear in every matter, are not born again no matter how loudly they claim to be Christians.

Born again believers do not fight against God's Word, they rejoice in it, are excited about challenges to look more deeply into God's Word and enjoy the company of authentically born again believers.

Hallelujah: God said; "you shall know them by their fruit"

Galatians 5:22-23

"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

When this fruit is absent as a lifestyle from someone we can know they have not trusted in Christ.

When we see this fruit of Christ in someone as a continual lifestyle, then they have been born again. Even when a believer falls they hate it, confess it and begin again to obey Christ.

May each one reading this evaluate themselves to see if they are truly in the faith.

2 Corinthians 13:4-6 "…4 For He was indeed crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. And though we are weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him to serve you. 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you— unless you actually fail the test? 6 And I hope you will realize that we have not failed the test.…"