Tag Archives: Resurrection of Jesus

by Vragensteller - Inquirer | 2023/11/24 · 12:52 pm

A Christian interested in Islam

I’m a Christian who’s always been pretty religious and but I’ve been really interested in Islam because I have a lot of Muslim friends and I love how they follow their religion. Can somebody give me some good reasons why I could convert to Islam?

In any case, it is good to question or at least ask questions about your faith. Daily, we need to examine and weigh ourselves, our thinking and our beliefs against the data we can find in the Holy Scriptures.

To your question, some might react and ask that person with such a question or remark

Why would you exchange the truth about God for a lie?

Others might say

I can’t think of good reasons why you would want to convert to Islam but I can understand why your Muslim friends’ devotion would make you wonder.

Some Christians consider Islam a threat to their faith. In doing so, they do not ask why that faith needs to be a threat to our society.

About God, there are no lies in Islam. Like in Judaism Islam teaches about the Only One True God, Who is One and not Three, like lots of Christians think. When coming to know the God of the Bible it is understandable that you might think you come to serve that God to your best of your ability.

You should know that, in Christianity, not all Christians worship the Trinity. There are masses of Christians who worship only That One True God and keep away from any idolatry, like praying to saints or keeping pagan festivals (like Christmas and Easter).

Even when you see all the wrong doctrines your Christian denomination brought to in its faith, you should not step away from Christianity, though you could leave Christendom aside.

There are no good reasons to convert to Islam.

The fact you’re considering it, actually makes us wonder whether you actually believe in Jesus. We do know that there are many atheists, because they do not believe in God, that say that Christ did not exist; But that does not make any sense. Jesus Christ is a historical figure, like the world knowns so many historical figures about whom nobody would doubt, even when there is less material evidence of their existence than about the existence of Jeshua ben Josef, (the son of Josef) who is better known as Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

Jesus said,

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

It is God Himself Who provided this Nazarene man, born in Bethlehem. That Islam denies the deity of Jesus is not bad and totally justified, because Jesus is not God but the son of God. The fact that Islam denies Jesus died on the cross for your sins is another matter which is a shame. Because they do not believe Jesus really died, naturally Islam can only deny Jesus’ glorious resurrection from the dead. For Christians who believe Jesus is God, there is also a problem, because God has no birth and can not die according to the Holy Scriptures. But all Christians are convinced that Jesus died and was resurrected.

You need to think about what you’ll be rejecting if you decide to convert to Islam.

Without Jesus, where would your salvation come from? Here’s a Bible verse for you to think about:

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (ESV)

It is not bad to have friends in all sorts of faiths, but that does not give yet one reason to change faith. One can have a lot of Muslim friends and one may love how they follow their religion. They do tend to be faithful to their faith and do not disregard as many precepts as Catholics and Protestants usually do.

Why would you exchange the truth about God and HIs son for a lie?

There are no good reasons to convert to Islam.

More than once we’ve read of priests and ministers who converted to Islam because Muslims take prayer so seriously and pray so often. They forgot they too could pray more often. We are all free to pray as much as we want.

In the Netherlands they are so afraid Islam would take over their country. Do they neve ask themselves how it would come that so many of their compatriots, Calvinists, Lutherans and other Protestants and Catholics made steps to leave their congregation and to go more regularly to the mosque instead of the church. Is it not because so many Dutch, Belgian French and English people are so much dissatisfied with their Christian faith that they go looking for other solutions and come up to the Muslim faith. If these churches in our area had enough to offer to the people, they would not be running away from them.

In Belgium we also heard it more than once that people were cross with the fact that in the schools of their children or at work Muslims were demanding and getting a special room set aside for prayer. Ditd they ever asked the school or their employer for a special prayer room?
Our response would be

“great for them – why aren’t you doing the same?”

So again is it not our own fault when Islam is getting a bigger denomination than all the Christian denominations?
Why is there not something people may find appealing in Islam/Muslim practice to challenge them to grow in their own faith and faith practice as a Christian?

Find also to read

Additional reading

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As near to God as you want Him to be

In the Three basic commands, you could read about three basic commands a Christian has to keep. For a Christian the fundamentals of his faith are to

1. Obey God’s and Christ’s commands
2. Not to test God
3. Only to worship One God and to have no other gods before Him

A real Christian follows Christ Jesus and would love to become like him and do like him. In such way a Christian would devote his life to the same God Jesus devoted his life. Jesus always wanted to do the Will of God. His intention was also to let others know God. Jesus, who also could not do anything by his own, also wanted people not to look for what he wanted to do, but for what his heavenly Father, the Only One True God, Who had sent him wanted.

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (John 5:30, NRKJV)

34 Yahushua saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (John 4:34, NRKJV)

36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. (John 5:36, NRKJV)

The apostle John in one of his letters asks his readers to think about which way they want to go and what they want to believe.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of יהוה is greater: for this is the witness of יהוה which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of יהוה hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not יהוה hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that יהוה gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that יהוה hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of יהוה hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of יהוה; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of יהוה. (1John 5:9-13, NRKJV)

Real Christians, who believe they can get life in the son of God, should go by the Words of the Book of books, the Bible and not follow human dogma’s.

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (1John 5:14-15, NRKJV)

The insurance that Jesus is not God but the mediator between God and man, gives us no reason to be afraid to pray in his name and to go up to Jesus his heavenly Father, Whom we, thanks to Jesus Christ, also can call our heavenly Father.

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of יהוה our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one Elohim, and one mediator between Elohim and men, the man Yahushua the Messiah; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in the Messiah, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. 8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. (1Tim 2:3-8, NRKJV)

It is our faith in Jesus which brings us to come close to his heavenly Father, willing to have Him also as our heavenly Father. It is in such way that Jesus also taught people to pray to his God not as hypocrites.

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Matt 6:5-10, NRKJV)

Jesus not being God, believed in the God of Israel and trusted Him. He believed that Jehovah God was with him and would take him up in His reign.

17 Yahushua saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my Elohim, and your Elohim. (John 20:17, NRKJV)

For Jesus, it was clear that his Father was also the Father of all others, and His God was and is also The God of others (but not of all, because many do not accept Jehovah as their Most High Elohim or God).

Before Jesus was taken into heaven he showed his wounds proving that he was not a ghost or spirit like his heavenly Father, Who is an unseen Singular Spirit Being. As such the disciple could be a witness that there stood the real son of man Jesus, who was their master.

36 And as they thus spake, Yahushua himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat before them.
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved the Messiah to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
gives them a charge
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
promises the Holy Ghost
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
and so ascends into heaven
50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

Now Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God and not on God’s throne, but on his throne as chosen one from God and as a high priest for God.

63 But Yahushua held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living Elohim, that thou tell us whether thou be the Messiah, the Son of the Almighty. 64 Yahushua saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matt 26:63-64, NRKJV)

62 And Yahushua said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Mark 14:62, NRKJV)

19 So then after Yahushua had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of יהוה. (Mark 16:19, NRKJV)

55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of יהוה, and Yahushua standing on the right hand of the Most High, (Acts 7:55, NRKJV)

Heb 1
1 Elohim, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Heb 1:1-3, NRKJV)

God want us in a relationship with Him through Christ. And God wants us to trust him completely. Christians should be people who trust God in the same way Jesus trusted his God. Jesus dared to give his life, trusting in his heavenly Father. God can not die, but Jesus died and went into the grave. For three days Jesus was in hell (sheol – hades = the grave).

30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that יהוה had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Messiah to sit on his throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of the Messiah, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Yahushua hath יהוה raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of יהוה exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, יהוה said unto my master, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that יהוה hath made that same Yahushua, whom ye have crucified, both King and Messiah. (Acts 2:30-36, NRKJV)

That is today our assurance and hope. Jesus by God exalted to be our Saviour or Christ, being the Messiah. We should understand the words of Jesus and recognise the God of Jesus also as our God and our Father.

42 Yahushua said unto them, If Elohim were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from Elohim; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of יהוה heareth יהוה’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of יהוה. (John 8:42-47, NRKJV)

Christians should hear Jesus and believe him and in the same way as Jesus believed his heavenly Father, the Only One True God, Christians also should believe that God of Israel. The same as Jesus did not wait until it was too late, we should not wait before trying to have such a good relationship with God as Jesus had.

Today lots of people calling themselves Christian want to be befriended with the world and keep to their feasts. Such love for the world gives fog to their thoughts, not able to see the Biblical Truth because preferring to keep to human teachings. But God requires faithful love and worship.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with יהוה? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of יהוה. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more favour. Wherefore he saith, יהוה resisteth the proud, but giveth favour unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to יהוה. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to יהוה, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of יהוה, and he shall lift you up. (Jas 4:4-10, NRKJV)

We should not be double-minded and not twist words of the Scriptures so that they’ll suit a lot of people who would love to belong to the majority instead of choosing for the path of God and narrow gate to the kingdom of God. Following Christ means going for him and doing as he and God want it.

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matt 7:14, NRKJV)

24 Then said Yahushua unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. (Matt 16:24-28, NRKJV)

Those who accept Christ as their saviour can pray in his Name, but:

Prayer should be nothing less than stepping into the throne room of heaven and drawing near to a holy and majestic God.

When your life is a prayer, the Lord will always be near you. “Make your life a prayer” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 TPT).

We are meant to be near to the Lord, and prayer is how we get there. “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18 NKJV). {In the Presence of God}

writes Paul Balius.

The ransom offer of Jesus cleansed us from our sins, in the way that we do not have to hide any more, because God knows our weaknesses. Knowing Jesus died for us we still have to really get clean. Our faith in Jesus requires several works. One of those works is to repent.

19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of יהוה; 20 And he shall send Yahushua the Messiah, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which יהוה hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:19-21, NRKJV)

At the same time, we may not forget Who accepted the sacrificial offering of that son of man, and wants us to become His children.

You learn about the things of God through your adult intellect, but you must come to Christ as a child. You can go far in your knowledge of the truth but still be distant from the Lord Jesus, who is truth. You don’t get nearer to God through your intellect but through your heart.

Drawing near to the Lord is an act of the heart and not of the mind, because intimacy is founded on love. “Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart” (Jeremiah 24:7 NKJV). {In the Presence of God}

Like Jesus very well knew his heavenly Father, his God, we too as followers of Christ, or Christians should draw near to the same God of Christ, having written His Laws in our heart, so that He can be our God and heavenly Father, and we can be His child.

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith יהוה, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people. (Jer 31:33, NRKJV)

As followers of Christ we should clean ourselves and put on a new heart so that God can place a new spirit in us.

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: (Ezek 11:19, NRKJV)

At the moment there are still many who call themselves Christian, but have a heart of stone and not showing the love of Christ to others. But when time progresses to the Last Days, it shall change. Many more shall find that Jesus is the way to god and shall be willing to follow him so that their stony heart shall be taken away to be renewed.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (Ezek 36:26, NRKJV)

At the moment many are still in the darkness which “avoids the light lest it be ruined”. In the same way, their sin separates them from God so long as they choose to hold onto it and as long as they want to hold on false teachings, instead of accepting the Words of God.

It is not that God cannot forgive you, but you must be willing to let Him. Don’t squander the treasures of heaven by holding onto the filth of this world. {In the Presence of God}

People should know they have come to do the same as Christ, stepping in the light of God, willing to live according to the Will of God, following His ordinances. The apostles had seen and heard the son of God and announced him to others, so that they, too, may have fellowship with them, and so that the apostles their fellowship with the fellowship of all followers of the real Christ may be with the Father and with His Son Jesus who is the Anointed of God.

3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Yahushua the Messiah. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that יהוה is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yahushua the Messiah His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1John 1:3-7, NRKJV)

Therefore, let us be fully aware that those who recognise not the son or denies his sonship, shall not be able to draw close to God, because one has to confess the son of God to have the Father. As real followers of Christ, we have to accept Jesus as our lord and be cleansed to walk in the light, turning to God, drawing close to Him, so that He can draw us close to His Throne of Glory. Real Christians do not deny that Jesus is the son of man, son of God and the Kristos or Christ.

23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (1John 2:23, NRKJV)

If we claim that we have fellowship with Christ and his God, and yet we do not accept the words Jesus said or the words his Father said, we walk in darkness, and as such we hear a lot of people who call themselves Christian, but who are not telling the truth.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (1John 1:6, NRKJV)

Real Christians can not deny the Son. This is fundamental to have the Father. Without confessing the son, there is no way to have the Father.

22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Yahushua is the Messiah? He is antiMessiah who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. (1John 2:22-24, NRKJV)

7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yahushua the Messiah His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1John 1:7, NRKJV)

Those who do not accept the Words of God and the words of Christ are often compared to “adulterers” , certainly those who prefer to keep to the false human teachings or human dogmas. They should know that the friendship of this world is hostile to God. Therefore, whoever has chosen to go above the Words of Scripture and to be a friend of this world, have chosen to stay in the dark, but worse have made themselves into a satan (an adversary of God) or an enemy of God. Those not willing to accept the words in Scripture like they are written are considered “the arrogant”. Real Christians should be humble and accept the words like they are written in the Bible and be subject to God, drawing near to God, so that He will draw near to them.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with יהוה? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of יהוה. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more favour. Wherefore he saith, יהוה resisteth the proud, but giveth favour unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to יהוה. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to יהוה, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of יהוה, and he shall lift you up. (Jas 4:4-10, NRKJV)

Let us be humble and accept what God says about the one He sent to the world:

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying,

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matt 3:17, NRKJV)

Preceding

Do you really know what you say you believe in?

Not About The Name Of The Godhead Of Jesus

Rhetoric and Biblical Truth

Religion and the essence of devotion

Three basic commands

The false prophets in the present world

O God, How Long? ~ Psalm 74

Additional reading

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Filed under Being and Feeling, Quotations from Holy Scriptures, Religious affairs, Spiritual affairs

Tagged as 1 John 2:22-24, 1 John 5:14-15, 1 John 5:9-13, 1 Timothy 2:3-8, 1 Timothy 2:5, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, Acts 2:30, Acts 2:30-36, Acts 3:19, Acts 3:19-21, Acts 7:55, Anointed one by God, Book of books, Christ, Doing the Will of God, Enemy of god, Ezekiel 11:19, Ezekiel 36:26, Following Jesus Christ, Friendship of the world, Heavenly Father, Hebrews 1:1-3, James 4:4-10, Jeremiah 24:7, Jeremiah 31:33, Jesus sitting at the right hand of God, Jesus sitting on his throne, John 20:17, John 4:34, John 5:30, John 5:36, John 8:42-47, Loving the world, Mark 14:62, Mark 16:19, Matthew 16:24-28, Matthew 26:63-64, Matthew 3:17, Matthew 6:10, Matthew 6:5-10, Matthew 7:14, Mediator Jesus, Messiah, Narrow gate, Path of God, Paul Balius, Real Christians, Relationship with God, Repentance, Resurrection, Resurrection of Jesus, Saviour Christ, Sent one from God, to be Befriended with the world, to Pray, to Repent, Trust God

by Guestspeaker | 2019/04/17 · 11:41 am

Torah Portion – Pesach B

Christianity really came out the Jewish sect The Way, those people being Jeshuaists or followers of Jeshua gathered in the name of Jeshua to honour the Only One True God and to remember how their master teacher Jeshua gave himself as a ransom for the sins of many.

Messiah Jeshua was a devout Jewish man of flesh and blood who managed to have many followers. Though soon false teachers came unto the platform, entering Roman Greek philosophies, going as far as agreeing with the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great to make Jeshua into Jesus (Hail Zeus) and making a god of him. From then onwards we saw Christendom with the trinitarians but always have been there real followers of Jeshua, not going for that Trinity but keeping worship solely to the Only One True God of Israel, like every Jew should also worship Only One True God above all.

You consider the “resurrection of Messiah” as “an inherently Jewish event” but it was the proof for the whole world that from then onwards a man of flesh and blood could be taken out of the dead. (Those who say Jesus is God, naturally still have no proof that man can come out of death, and often forget that God even can not die, so would have faked His death, fooling also mankind considering His all knowing, because telling people he does not know when he would return.

With his own will putting aside Jeshua did fulfil the Will of God and gave himself to his heavenly Father as an offering, shedding his blood as a lamb, this time not only for liberating or bringing a passover of houses of Jehudi, but for all people, making it possible for Jews and goyim to have a restored relationship with the Most High God.

For sure the Elohim HaShem Jehovah demanded to celebrate the Passover of the with blood sprinkled houses in Egypt, and Jesus also did remember that on the Seder night, demanding also to remember from then onwards how he (Jesus) as presented himself as a Lamb of God and a Lamb for God, to pay for the sins of all people and to inaugurate the New Covenant. Therefore we all come together on 14 Nisan to have a Memorial Meal in remembrance of those two special acts of liberation.

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To remember

over the years the Lord has taught the blog writer how to celebrate Jeshua’s resurrection in an authentic Messianic Jewish way.

In Messianic Judaism, the resurrection of Yeshua = one of our most treasured truths.

significance of the resurrection > celebration of miraculous event = merited + necessary.

> faith in Yeshua + belief in His resurrection sets us apart from the rest of the Jewish community.

The death of Yeshua = extremely sensitive subject to most Jewish people.

resurrection of Messiah > Messianic Judaism shares in common with Christianity.

customary meal very much like a Havdalah meal in our day > inaugurates each week with the beautiful symbols of a cup of wine, fragrant spices, and the luminescent glow of a multi-wicked candle.

Parasha With Passion - Weekly Torah Portions

Parasha With Passion – Weekly Torah Reading Cycle – Pesach B

This week, in Parashat Pesach Matzot-B, God instructs Israel to observe Passover
through the generations.

Deuteronomy 16:1:

“Observe the month of Aviv and keep the
Passover to Adonai your God, for in the month
of Aviv^[^b^]Adonai your God brought you out
from Egypt by night.

Celebrating
Yeshua’s Resurrection In An Authentic Messianic Jewish Way

As a Messianic Believer, one of my biggest struggles was learning how to
celebrate Yeshua’s resurrection in a Messianic Jewish context. However, over the years the Lord has taught
me how to celebrate Yeshua’s resurrection in an authentic Messianic Jewish way.

Yeshua is ALIVE proclaimed his disciples as they gazed in an empty tomb (Mark
16:1-8). The
resurrection of Yeshua is an event that Jewish believers experienced before
Christianity even existed. In Messianic
Judaism, the resurrection of Yeshua is…

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Filed under Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs

Tagged as 14 Nisan, Blood of Christ, Blood of the Lamb, Christendom, Christianity, False teachers, Followers of Christ, Jeshuaist(s), Lamb of God, Man of flesh and blood, New Covenant, Pasach (Passover), Passover, Ransom offer, Restored relationship with God, Resurrection of Jesus

by Immanuel Verbondskind | 2017/03/22 · 9:00 am

For ever changed by spiritual experience

Often people do not think much about God until something happens in their life. In life we have to face different circumstances and have to undergo different circumstances. Often whenever something serious happens and we have to face a life threatening experience, than we’re confronted with the Highest Being. Once we have had a spiritual experience, we are forever changed. We may try to forget, ignore, or run away from it, but our contact with the Divine realm will never again allow us to completely immerse ourselves in mundane life, whether to indulge in empty diversions or to try to improve the world through purely secular means.

In the time before the offering of Jeshua as a Lamb of God people had to bring offers to the altar, and everything whatever touched the Altar became sanctified when it where really things that were worthy of being brought upon the Altar in the first place. Today too we can say that everything or every one which or who comes before God or to the Altar of God must be worthy to come before God.

Easter postcard circa early 20th century (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Normally every Jew, Christian and Muslim should be clean, not taking part to pagan festivals or pagan rites. Though in Christendom we find a majority not bothering about God’s Laws. They seem not to bother if what they do would be against the Will of God. For many Christians Spring has started yesterday and soon they shall celebrate Easter, the feast for the pagan god Eostre, the god of fertility which they shall honour by the rites of offering eggs and honouring the fertile bunnies. Those eggs and Easter bunnies have nothing to do with Jesus his resurrection. Their resurrected god is also not the Elohim Who cannot die, God being an Eternal Spirit. Also the Easter fires have nothing to do with the sacrificial offering of Christ, nor his standing up from the dead.

A Cute Little Bunny With Some Eggs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By taking part to such pagan rites, their hands are defiled and should they know that they may not come clear to the altar of God. In the weeks going up to that most important day of the year they should have had moments of reflection, having been conscious about the necessity to please God and not to please the world. Schools, workplaces, clubs, may all want to have the pagan symbols of the Spring time and may love the festival decorations, but real lovers of God should abstain from them. They should have cleansed their soul, and should have meditated on the Word of God and His mitzvah.

From Land to Land – Going to shul (synagogue). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every person who calls himself Christian, should be a follower of rabbi Jeshua, the Kristos or Christ, who worshipped not himself but his heavenly Father, the only One true God. Like he went up to God His Altar really offering himself for the sins of all, he came up to the mountain out of the walls of the city Jerusalem, to be slaughtered as a Lamb. Though we probably shall never be able to be as pure as him, we should try to do our utmost best to become like Christ, pure and clean. But spiritually, each of us should fall into that accepted category, for every child of God possesses intrinsic holiness; the true desire of every Jew and every Christian should be to do what the Most High God commands.

Preceding articles

Making sure we express kedusha for 14-16 Nisan

Reciting the Aleinu as a warning against temptation of idolatry

More on Grace and Spiritual Fruit – Abide in Me, and I in you

Broken, coming before God

Easter: Origins in a pagan Christ

Additional reading

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To believe in the liberation of slavery and to repent

Having these special days we think about whom God wanted to save and whom He is willing to come to His Holy Land and His Holy Kingdom.

It are days that we wonder what sort of person is the Most High Divine Creator looking for and Who is He willing to call?

In the Christadelphian Bible readings for April the 26th we look what happened after the gathering at the upper room and the killing of rabbi Jeshua, when his disciples were so much afraid that they hid in a house and did not dare to show themselves outside in town.

Shavuot by Moritz Daniel Oppenheim

Today we encounter also many who say they believe in Christ but do not dare to tell about him. Perhaps they also better remind what happened to the apostles. When the Day of the Festival of Shaḇu‛ota had come, they were all with one mind in one place. About three years they had followed their master, listened intensively to his marvellous preaching about the Most High God and explaining the Torah. That master was never afraid to speak or to show others what he believed. But they were so afraid. Sitting in their hiding place suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues like flames, as of fire that separated and each flame came to rest on each of them. First full of awe they found themselves now filled with something special, an inner fire which seemed to fill themselves with energy. They heard the Holy Spirit and they themselves were surprised to hear themselves being able to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them that ability.

Acts 2:1-4 (TS98)

Acts 2
1 And when the Day of the Festival of Weeks had come, they were all with one mind in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and settled on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Set-apart Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak.

Can you imagine how a remarkable speech was presented in that town where the people were together having had celebrated the most important event of the year. At such occasions the town was filled with several nationalities, all people speaking different tongues. And now those Galileans could intrigue this great crowd speaking in their own languages.

Of course we only have the essential kernel of his speech, as the record says how the onlookers came to understand those people speaking in tongues were not drunk, as you suppose, since it was only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel that in the last days it shall be that the Elohim Jehovah God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh, and that there would be sons and daughters prophesying.

Today when we can see more of those signs as prophesies foretold, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke, we can see that many loose hope and see their sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

Acts 2:20 (TS98)
20 ‘The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and splendid day of יהוה.

We are told of the importance of calling upon the name of the Host of host יהוה to be saved. Like the people in the time of Moses had to believe him, now the coming generations shall have to hear these words that Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to the world by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in the midst of the Israelites, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God was raised up by his heavenly Father, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Acts 2:24 (TS98)
24 “Him Elohim raised up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was impossible that He could be held in its grip.

In Moses his time god’s people could see how the angel of death passed their doors. Many after that liberation from slavery and the Egyptians put their hope in the One God Who they placed before themselves like David always saw God before him.

Jeshua had asked God why He had abandoned him; but God was always by him and did also not abandon his soul to Hades, when Jesus was three days in hell (sheol/hades). Patriarch David both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

The apostles were witnesses that this master teacher, they had followed for such a short period, was raised up from the dead. They also were convinced that this man of flesh and blood was exalted at the right hand of God, not sitting on god’s throne or not taking in the place of God, like so many Christians want others to believe today. No, real Christians believe in this sent one from God to be like Moses, a leader who can bring us unto liberation, getting us free from those chains of the curse of death.

All who die shall stay in the graves and shall like David who also did not ascend into the heavens, have to look at the blessings God provided.

Acts 2:29-36 (TS98)
29 “Men and brothers, let me speak boldly to you of the ancestor Dawiḏ, that he died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 “Being a prophet, then, and knowing that Elohim had sworn with an oath to him: of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, to raise up the Messiah to sit on his throne, 31 foreseeing this he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah, that His being was neither left in the grave, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 “Elohim has raised up this יהושע, of which we are all witnesses. 33 “Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of Elohim, and having received from the Father the promise of the Set-apart Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 34 “For Dawiḏ did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself said, ‘יהוה said to my Master, “Sit at My right hand, 35 until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ’ 36 “Therefore let all the house of Yisra’ĕl know for certain that Elohim has made this יהושע, whom you impaled, both Master and Messiah.”

It appears almost impossible that those who have been redeemed by the blood of the dying Lamb, Jesus giving his body as a ransom for all man, is been ridiculed by telling that he should be God because no man can be without sin and fulfil God’s Wishes. It also makes a cruel God of the Creator because then they insinuate that God, at the beginning of man, gave such commandments to man He knew they would never be able to follow.

We should see and understand that this man who sat a the table when he had given thanks, broke the bread, and said,

“This is my body, which is for you. Do this in memory of me.”

and afterwards in the same way took the cup, after supper, saying,

“This cup is the New Covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.”

also asked us to remember this act

1 Corinthians 11:26 (TS98)
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Master until He comes.

The liberation from slavery of death is what Christ Jesus has brought to mankind. And we should not forget that love of this Nazarene man. With an everlasting love by the eternal Son of God, we should not forget that gracious Saviour and look forward to the same hope god’s chosen People was given, the Holy Land and a precious Kingdom of God.

So many, today, have forgotten him who never forgot God nor us! The majority has forgotten him who poured his blood forth for our sins! He whom we should make the abiding tenant of our memories is but a visitor therein. The stake where one would think that memory would linger, and unmindfulness would be an unknown intruder, is desecrated by the feet of forgetfulness and by those who do not want to believe that Jesus was a real man of flesh, blood and bones who managed to do the Will of God instead of doing his own will. In case he is God he naturally always would have done his own will.

Does not your conscience say that this is true? Do you not find yourselves forgetful of Jesus? Can it not be that some creatures steals away your heart, and you are unmindful of him upon whom your affection ought to be set, because you prefer to keep to human doctrines and to human traditions? Is it not that some earthly business engrosses your attention when you should fix your eye steadily upon the stake which brought Jesus to the end of his life?

Real Christians should not only let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Jeshua both Lord and Christ and that this Jesus whom was put on the stake with the inscription that he is the “King of the Jews”, but should tell the whole world about him and his God.

St. Peter Preaching at Pentecost by Benjamin West (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Peter asked the people around them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins so that they too could receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38 (TS98)
And Kĕpha said to them, “Repent, and let each one of you be immersed in the Name of יהושע Messiah for the forgiveness of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit.

At Pesach we can think of those who died and those who were able to escape death. Around the holiday period those apostles were filled with so much fear they could say

“We die daily.”

This was the life of the early Christians; they went everywhere with their lives in their hands.
We are not in this day called to pass through the same fearful persecutions: if we were, the Lord would give us grace to bear the test; but the tests of Christian life, at the present moment, though outwardly not so terrible, are yet more likely to overcome us than even those of the fiery age.

We have to bear the sneer of the world-that is little; its blandishments, its soft words, its oily speeches, its fawning, its hypocrisy, are far worse. Our danger is lest we grow rich and become proud, lest we give ourselves up to the fashions of this present evil world, and lose our faith. Or if wealth be not the trial, worldly care is quite as mischievous. If we cannot be torn in pieces by the roaring lion, if we may be hugged to death by the bear, the devil little cares which it is, so long as he destroys our love to Christ, and our confidence in him. {Spurgeon}

Spurgeon had good reason to fear that the Christian church is far more likely to lose her integrity in these soft and silken days than in those rougher times.

We must be awake now, for we traverse the enchanted ground, and are most likely to fall asleep to our own undoing, unless our faith in Jesus be a reality, and our love to Jesus a vehement flame. Many in these days of easy profession are likely to prove tares, and not wheat; hypocrites with fair masks on their faces, but not the true-born children of the living God. Christian, do not think that these are times in which you can dispense with watchfulness or with holy ardour; you need these things more than ever, and may God the eternal Spirit display his omnipotence in you, that you may be able to say, in all these softer things, as well as in the rougher,

“We are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” {Spurgeon}

The promise was for the Jews but now it has come to be also for the Gentiles and for their children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Almighty God of gods calls to Himself.

Acts 2:39-40 (TS98)
39 “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, as many as יהוה our Elohim shall call.” 40 And with many other words he earnestly witnessed and urged them, saying, “Be saved from this crooked generation.”

The Jews were saved from the Egyptians and from the pressure which was on them by their slavery. Today many are slave of this crooked generation, though many want to stay chained to this crooked world with its heathen rituals and pagan festivals.

All generations are ‘crooked’ to differing degrees but today we live in one that is extremely so! Peter had quoted king David his Psalm (verse 28)

“You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence”.

Icon of the Pentecost (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At the time of the apostles the people around them did not hesitate to be baptised. All those who received the words spoken by the apostles who suddenly dared to come out of the house and speak in tongues, were baptised.

Around Pesach much time is taken to hear to the Words of God. Like at other times it is very important to hear (or read) to receive into the heart the Infallible Word of God. Today it is even to hear at more places than in the time of the apostles. A pity is to notice that it not necessarily means that people come to realise what it has to mean for them personally. Not enough people are willing to put away their fear for the world. Lots of people are more afraid of not taking part of such pagan feasts as Christmas, Easter, Halloween or others instead holding to those festivals God has given.

Today we are also reading in Deuteronomy (chapter 12) of those who heard Moses final stirring messages before he died – they received his words and so entered the promised land and were faithful in their lives.

The initial effect on those who received Peter’s words and were baptised was that they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers” (verse 42). This is the result when God calls men and women to himself.

Our thoughts then went to those most moving words in Hebrews,

Hebrews 10:22-25 (TS98)
22 let us draw near with a true heart in completeness of belief, having our hearts sprinkled from a wicked conscience and our bodies washed with clean water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our expectation without yielding, for He who promised is trustworthy. 24 And let us be concerned for one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging, and so much more as you see the Day coming near.

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering … all the more as we see the day approaching.

Preceding articles:

The Best Bedtime Stories

Days of Nisan, Pesach, Pasach, Pascha and Easter

Responsibilities of Parenthood for sharing the Word of God

Counting Each Day – and Making them Count

Additional reading:

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Filed under Being and Feeling, History, Reflection Texts, Religious affairs

Tagged as Apostles, Being Of the world, Believe in Jesus Christ, Danger for man, Day of Jehovah God, Fear for man, Festival of Weeks (Shavuot), Gentiles, God's calling, Hiding, Holy Spirit, Human doctrines, Human traditions, Jesus abandoned, Jesus risen, Jews, king David, Liberation, Liberation of gentiles, Liberation of Jews, Pangs of death, Pentecost, Pesach, Rabbi Jeshua, Raised up from the dead, Redeemed ones, Redemption from slavery, Resurrection of Jesus, Speaking in tongues

by Guestspeaker | 2016/01/29 · 5:21 pm

Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans

The Christadelphian Agora comments

Reading 3 – Rom 3:9,10

“What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one’ ” (Rom 3:9,10).

“Our guilt is great because our sins are exceedingly numerous. It is not merely outward acts of unkindness and dishonesty with which we are chargeable. Our habitual and characteristic state of mind is evil in the sight of God.

“Our pride and indifference to His will and to the welfare of others and our loving the creature more than the Creator are continuous violations of His holy law. We have never been or done what that law requires us to be and to do. We have never had delight in that fixed purpose to do the will and promote the glory of God. We are always sinners; we are at all times and under all circumstances in opposition to God.

“If we have never loved Him supremely, if we have never made it our purpose to do His will, if we have never made His glory the end of our actions, then our lives have been an unbroken series of transgressions. Our sins are not to be numbered by the conscious violations of duty; they are as numerous as the moments of our existence” (Charles Hodge).

Peter Forbes comments:

3:2 If the Jews had a benefit simply because the Word of God was committed to them how do we view that same word? Do we feel privileged simply because we can read Scripture freely in our own tongue?

3:3 Paul (2Tim 2:13) develops the principles of this verse for the benefit of Timothy. – We have noted before that David’s Psalm (32) is used by Paul to speak of the way in which God forgives. Reflecting on what David had done – committed adultery and murdered a man – we probably cannot think of two more evil crimes. But it is these two crimes which God forgave which forms the basis of Paul’s encouragement to us.

David and Bathsheba, by Henry Bone (died 1834). See source website for additional information. This set of images was gathered by User:Dcoetzee from the National Portrait Gallery, London website using a special tool. All images in this batch have been confirmed as author died before 1939 according to the official death date listed by the NPG. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3:4 The quotation ‘that thou mightest be justified …‘ from Psalm 51:4 marks the beginning of an appeal to the repentance of David after his adultery with Bathsheba – see the title of the Psalm. This incident in David’s life, as terrible as it was, marks the magnitude of the Father’s forgiveness towards a repentant sinner. More notes on this in Romans 4.

3:4‘that thou … art judged’ is a quotation from Psa 51:4 That Psalm is a Psalm speaking specifically of David’s sin with Bathsheba. Paul highlights that the Psalm, though specifically speaking to David, actually has a general application to all.

3:5 This is the first of a number of occasions when Paul asks a question which he then answers himself. The others are Rom 4:1, 6:1, 7:7

Painting by Rembrandt of Paul, one of the most notable of early Christian missionaries, who called himself the “Apostle to the Gentiles.” Paul, a Hellenistic Jew, was very influential on the shift of Christianity to Gentile dominated movement. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3:7-8 The “lie” that Paul is thinking about is the charge laid on him by others that he said “Let us do evil that good may come”.

3:8 The charge laid on Paul is similar to the hypothetical question he asks in Rom 6:1.

3:9 The teaching of Paul that we ‘are all under sin’ is quoted by Paul later – Gal 3:22–This is one of many times where Paul quotes elements of this letter to the Romans to other churches. Thus we see that Romans seems to be a letter that many of the other churches were aware of.

3:19 The phrase ‘every mouth may be stopped’ echoes the sentiments of Psa 107:42 thus demonstrating that the teaching that all men are sinners is not confined to the New Testament but is a clear Old Testament teaching.

3:23,24 These adjacent verses are at the opposite ends of the spectrum as far as the mind of man is concerned. One has to recognise the situation outlined in v 23 before one can be in the state described in v 24. Justification is only available to those who recognise their own personal need for salvation.

3:25-26 We should reflect carefully on the fact that God’s righteousness is seen in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our God is not a vindictive cruel God. Rather, as shown by the way He responded to Jesus’ obedience, He is merciful – which we should appreciate anyway because of the way in which He describes Himself –Exo 34:6-7

3:31 To the Jew the idea that the Law of Moses was no longer the route to pleasing God (if it ever was) was a major problem. So they needed to know that ‘faith’ did not remove the need for obedience

Peter Cresswell comments

manuscript of the Epistle to the Romans (fragment) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3:4 – Here we see a principle that we cannot ignore. Let God be true is a clear instruction to us not to make God into what we think He should be – not to impose on Him what we feel are the qualities of a god, but instead to open our minds to let Him show us what he really is in truth. We are still on the theme from the previous chapters which tell us how to avoid being like those whose worship is distorted. Let us take heed, as through this we can be justified by faith, as we are being prepared to learn next.

3:20 tells us that the law can’t save because by it there is knowledge of sin. This shows us that the law is inextricably tied up with the original curse – that we should know good and evil. At the end this curse will be removed and we will know only good. We do well to remember that this knowledge of good and evil is a curse, not a privilege. One day, those who are saved, will leave it far behind. One could argue that by God’s grace, we already have – 5:21, 6:7 – but in that day it will be actual. Evil will no longer be remembered or contemplated or come into mind. We must ask ourselves: Are we ready to leave behind the choice to do evil, without looking back, or do we still consider it a privilege?

Cliff York comments

Romans 3:9 – “for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin” – in chapters one and two. Paul painted a word picture, first of the Gentile world – Romans 1 – then the Jewish world, which was even worse, for they had access to God’s righteousness – Romans 2.

v12-18 – Paul describes the cadaver of sin. As Paul’s scalpel opens up the body of sin, first the throat, then the tongue, lips, mouth, feet, and eyes are laid bare and examined – Hebrews 4:12-13. And Paul’s conclusion is given in v23 – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” What does this tell us? We all need Jesus Christ. No-one will be in God’s Kingdom who has not entrusted his life and his salvation to the only name given among men whereby they might be saved – Acts 4:12.

John Wilson comments

Rom 3:25 “to declare his righteousness.” Christ, the bearer of the sins of the people. Not that Christ might be punished for others, but that God’s righteousness might be declared for others to see that they might be forgiven.

David Simpson comments

Rom 3:9-20 has at least 7 quotations from the Psalms, and one from Isaiah. Then in Rom 4 we can find 7 times when Abraham’s name is written. There is no doubt, is there, where the Gospel’s foundation is laid?

Valerie Mello comments

Rom 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

A reader writes: “even though our Lord did not commit one single sin – even of omission, he still Came Short of the glory of Yahweh – by his very mortality that he inherited by his birth of a mortal woman – meaning he had to make atonement by his death for his ‘falling short’ of the glory of Yahweh by reason of his birth by a mortal woman who, wonderful as she was, still possessed a sin-prone nature herself.”

My reply: In Rom 1, Paul pointed out mankind’s refusal to acknowledge God and God’s truth and how God gave mankind over to their lusts and the practice of sin. Then in Rom 2, Paul describes God’s judgment on both the Gentiles and the Jews. In Rom 3, Paul sums up his argument and makes it clear that all of mankind is under sin and that “every mouth will be silenced and the whole world will be held accountable to God.” With regard to God’s judgment there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, rich or poor, priest or beggar, businessmen or drunk, churchgoer and atheist, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It does not say or imply that Christ because of his human nature fell short of God’s glory!

In Rom 3:22, we read that the righteousness of God is by faith in Jesus Christ to “all” – that is, mankind in general, Jews and Gentiles, “unto all and upon all that believe: for there is no difference” (cf. vv. 21,23). To fall short of the glory of God is to be in need of righteousness, a righteousness imputed to us by God through Christ (2Cor 5:21).

In Matt 5:20, we are warned that our righteousness must exceed those of the Pharisees. What Jesus is telling us is that it is not enough to submit to mere outward conformity as characterized by the Pharisees, but that it must be of both inward and outward conformity. Obeying the Law was more than just abstaining from killing, or stealing, etc., it also dealt with our inward being. So it is with us under the Law of Christ, and we can only exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees if we submit to Christ. Our own righteousness will never be good enough no matter how hard we try (cf. Isa 64:6).

Jesus was the only one who could lead a perfect life to the law of God in thought, word, and deed. Jesus’ mission was not simply to die on the cross. He had to be the Lamb without blemish, without sin. He had to live a life of perfect obedience, which he did and became the righteousness of God and, thus, could not have fallen short of God’s glory. Irrespective of Christ’s human sin-prone nature, he did not fall short, but continued in all things that were written in the book of the law to do them, otherwise, how could his righteousness be imputed to us, irrespective of our human nature (cf. 1Pet 5:10)? Christ was the perfect sacrifice and we can be made perfect only in him. We are to be Christ-like (cf. 2Cor 3:18).

Christ’s passive obedience (Isa 53:7) pays our sin debt and his active obedience of a sinless life gives us the perfection required by God if we submit (cf. Matt 5:48). What is required of us is active and passive obedience to Christ. Jesus came to undo what Adam did in committing and omitting, by which his character was tarnished and sin entered the flesh and passed on to his descendants – his sin was imputed to us (Rom 5:17-19). This was man’s fall from glory and made him in need of glory. Man was created in God’s image for God’s glory (1Cor 11:7; Isa 43:7). Christ came to restore for us what Adam lost. We must have Christ’s righteousness, active and passive, transforming us from sinners who fell short of the glory of God to saints of God who fulfill the glory of God in Christ, or God will not accept us.

Preceding articles

Elul Observances

To find ways of Godly understanding

Luther’s misunderstanding

January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works

Our life depending on faith

Romans 4 and the Sacraments

Is Justification a process?

Letter to the Romans, chapter 3

Letter to the Romans, chapter 4

Continue reading: Additional comments to the 4th Letter to the Romans

Additional reading

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Material gain to honour God

Front cover of the first edition of Lenin’s Materialism and Empirio-Criticism, published in Moscow in 1909 under the pseudonym “Vl. Ilyin.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Around us we may find lots of material things which can attract and distract us. We have nature, something which can not be made by man but can only be adjusted or changed to man’s desires. We have all sorts man-made things which can be for use or just for being there, one moment to give pleasure, an other moment to be thrown away as useless.

The things from nature, the goods which make us able to create things they all come from somewhere. It is the earth that gives it to us. But behind it is the Master Hand. What lots of people do not see or do not want to know is that behind everything made there is the Master Creator Who allows others to be and to create such things.

For many it is a very hard thing to believe that everything we can see around us and all things we can have is because God allows it to be there. It is there because of God allowing it but it also belongs to God. We like to think that what we have is ours and no one elses. Man wants to have everything for him or herself. Man wants to feed the “I” and wants to satisfy the “I”. Man thinks by taking all things for him/herself he can be and can satisfy the inner person and fulfil his “I am” ambition.

Strangely enough people want to gather as much as they can and safe it, though they will not be able to take it with them when they die. Their possessions will either go to someone else or be thrown away to be incinerated or to go in oblivion on the trash pile.

In this world there are so many who want to flaunt with what they can gather. They are so proud, but in a way do know nothing, and dote on an argument and quarrel on the use of a word or on the way of life. With their earthly grabbing culture they are the cause of envy and controversy and blasphemy and evil premeditation.

Strife among men whose minds are corrupt and who are cut off from the truth and who think worshipping God is for worldly gain should alert us and make it that we keep away from such things. Those who love God should know that their gain is greater contentment, for it is the worship of God. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

1Ti 6:6-7 HNV But godliness with contentment is great gain. (7) For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out.

Donkey cart in Conlig A change from all the materialism that seems to arise early in December – these children take to more traditional activities, in this case dressing up in Victorian fashion and parading along The Green in Conlig village. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Therefore, let us enjoy the beauty of nature and the God given things and let us be satisfied with food, raiment and shelter. For those who desire to be rich, fall into temptations, and snares, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which causes them to sink in degeneration and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evil: and there are some men who have coveted it and have thereby erred from the faith, they have brought to themselves many sorrows.

1Ti 6:8-10 HNV But having food and clothing, we will be content with that. (9) But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction. (10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

In case you love God and you want to go for Him, you should flee these things; and follow after righteousness, piety, faith, love, patience, and meekness. We are told to fight the good fight of faith, and to let the right things reign in our mortal body, laying hold on eternal life to which we are called, having professed a true profession before many witnesses.

1Ti 6:11-12 HNV But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. (12) Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.

1Co 6:18 HNV Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

Rom 6:12 HNV Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Nothing but the all mighty God, mighty Prince, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, has immortality or deathlessness, dwelling in the light which no man can approach, and whom no man has seen, nor can see. To Him be honour and dominion for ever and ever. Even Christ Jesus, the son of God had to face death. He really died, was three days in hell and was than taken out of the dead by his heavenly Father, the Only One True God.

Even the son who has received authority from his heavenly Father to judge and to be a king shall have to hand over the Kingdom of God to his heavenly Father in due time, because everything belongs to God.

Like Jesus only did the Will of his heavenly Father, and not his own will, we should try to do also the Will of God. Like Jesus could not do anything without his Father, we should know also that nothing is possible without God as Sustainer of the world allowing it to happen.

As Christians we should know that we live in the world but should not be part of it. We may get many possessions but should take care those things do not take possession of us.
Everything what we gather in our life we should use for the good. Not only for the good of the self but also for helping others.

Let us remember that those things which may life easier for us should be used to to do God’s will and to honour Him by what we do with it. And let us go for the real treasures.

Mat 6:19-21 HNV “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; (20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; (21) for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Strife: heated, often violent conflict or disagreement; angry or violent struggle or quarrel; Contention or competition between rivals; trouble or discord of any kind; strenuous effort; open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)

Preceding articles:

Thought of the day: We want more, i want more, but why is that?

Mini-MAX-malism: A Bigger Approach to Less is More

Stop and Think

Learning that stuff is just stuff

Material wealth, Submission and Heaven on earth

How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace

Less… is still enough

Less for more

Additional reading:

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Easter: Origins in a pagan Christ

For many of the faithful, god-fearing Christians around the world, the resurrection of the Christ is central to that faith they hold so dear. Every year around March-April dramas are re-enacted commemorating the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus put on by devotees as a form of renewal. Like everything else that goes with religious matters, most Xians are blissfully ignorant about the true origins of this, the central theme of their faith. Coloured eggs are given to friends and the bunny is the animal associated with Easter but little thought is spared for the study of the roots of these traditions and the relationship Xianity shares with the “pagan” world it forever disrespects.

Horus (Photo credit: waywuwei)

The truth of Easter’s origins is not helped by the decontextualised way many Eurocentric researchers analyse history. Most people who write about Easter trace the name to a Mother Goddess whose name in various European traditions was Astarte, Ishtar, Ashtoreth, Cybele, Demeter, Ceres, Aphrodite, Venus, and Freya. The name Easter derives from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring Eostre or Ostara. While these many rivers all contributed to the Easter celebrations, we should stop ignoring the African river from which they flowed.

Easter is an ancient spring solstice festival – the same spring solstice festival that gave us Carnival and Phagwa – involving the death and resurrection of the husband of the Great Earth Mother Goddess. This resurrection, far from being a miraculous historical event that occurred two thousand odd years ago, is a symbolic spiritual renewal that has its origins in the dim mists of the earliest human societies in Africa.

The Xian commemoration of Easter stems from this spiritual observance, only to be perverted into a myth of an historical death and resurrection of the biblical Jesus who then appoints a successor in the form of Peter. This myth was cleverly constructed for one purpose and one purpose only, the usurping and maintaining of political power. This point was well explored by Elaine Pagels and need not be dealt with here [see also the essay “Orthodox” Christianity and the birth of European Nationalism]

Xianity’s Easter, the resurrection of Christ Jesus is just a retelling of the Dramas of the Egyptian Yusir/Osiris and the Babylonian Bel, which in turn was a retelling of the symbolic death of the Great Mother of the primordial clan so that the community may survive. It is also bound up with the Nile Valley African’s concept of creation and their observations of the sun’s movements through various star constellations.

A statue of Isis nursing her son, housed in the Louvre (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to the Egyptian account of creation only the primordial waters existed at first. Then Ra, the sun, came out of an egg (a flower, in some versions) that appeared on the surface of the water. Ra brought forth four children, the gods Shu and Geb and the goddesses Tefnut and Nut. Shu and Tefnut became the atmosphere. They stood on Geb, who became the earth, and raised up Nut, who became the sky. Ra ruled over all. Geb and Nut later had two sons, Set and Yusir/Osiris, and two daughters, Isis and Nephthys. Osiris succeeded Ra as king of the earth, helped by Isis, his sister-wife. Set, however, hated his brother, killed him and cut him up into 14 pieces. Isis finds and reassembles Yusir then embalmed her husband’s body with the help of the deity Anubis, who thus became the god of embalming. The powerful charms of Isis resurrected Osiris, who then ascended to sit at the side of the divine father Amen-Ra and who became king of the netherworld. Heru/Horus, who was the son of Osiris and Isis, later defeated Set in a great battle and became king of the earth.”

The parallels with the later Xian version are obvious. Indeed, in that short version of the story one can pick out the biblical concepts of the creation out of water, the warring twins, the Mother-Son consort, the death and resurrection of the saviour. Jesus was called the Christ, the Messiah; temporal kingly titles that came from “Karast” and “Messu”, the Egyptian titles for Yusir, Heru and Thoth. Among the ancient pre-Christian cultures, eggs symbolised creation, fertility, renewed life and resurrection. In ancient Egypt/Kemet and Persia during the spring festivals coloured eggs were eaten as part of the elaborate rituals in much the same way that they are being eaten today.

There are many traditions that involve the recreative power of the egg mostly related to the movement of the sun and stars across the heavens:

“As the sun climbed toward mid-day it was called Ra, great and strong. When the sun set in the west it was known as Atum the old man, or Horus on the horizon. As a solar-disk he was known as Aten. The sun was also said to be an egg laid daily by Geb, the ‘Great Cackler’ when he took the form of a goose.”

“Then there is the myth sometimes called the Birth and Flight of Horus. This tale, found in the Coffin Texts, is a combination of two stories. The first is the birth of Horus, and the second is a very old and fragmented myth that the sun burst out of an egg laid by a goose floating on the primordial waters before creation. The Birth and Flight of Horus begins just after Osiris’s death.”

Herodotus informs us that there was an annual festival in ancient Kemet/Egypt to commemorate the descent of King Rhampsinitus into the Underworld and his return to earth. Part of this ritual, apparently connected to the Yusirian Drama, was the enveloping of a priest in a shroud by two other priests, disguised as wolves. These two wolflike characters – portraying the divine guides of the dead – conducted the shrouded one to a temple of Auset/Isis outside the city where they left him. They would later return and lead the shrouded priest, who enacted the role of King Rhampsinitus, back into the city. On his return, the shrouded priest brought with him a napkin, supposedly given to him by Auset. Parts of this ceremony became the narrative in the Gospel of John where we read of visitors to Jesus’ tomb beholding a napkin and a shroud and two angels.

Then there is the Babylonian Drama of Bel; an ancient cuneiform tablet, now in the British Museum, produced about two thousand years before the Xian era, seems to have been used by Babylonian priests, one of whom acted as an announcer at the drama. John Jackson in his book “Man, God and Civilization”, mentions the works of Scottish scholar Arthur Findlay in which he relates the drama:

“The service would be started by the singing of a psalm similar to the Psalms of David in the Old Testament. Following one or more psalms, a priest would recite the appropriate prayer for the occasion. Then the announcer, holding a copy of the program, would arise and read out in a clear, loud voice

Scene I – “Bel is taken prisoner”

An actor representing Bel, the Babylonian Christ, was seen on the stage. Other actors dressed as soldiers would arrest the saviour-god. As the prisoner was led away by the squad of soldiers, the announcer again rose up and called out:

“Scene II – Bel is tried in the Hall of Justice”

At this point the scene of a trial is enacted. A judge was present, and witnesses testified for and against the prisoner, who was found innocent but sentenced to death anyway as in the similar case of Jesus in the Gospels. After the sentencing of the victim, the next scene was called out:

“Scene III – Bel is smitten”

This scene showed the jeering and baiting of the prisoner after the sentence of death had been passed. The next moment would be:

“Scene IV – Bel is led away to the mount”

The actor impersonating the victim was led away by guards to the sacred grove atop the hill. Then the announcing priest read:

“Scene V – With Bel are taken two malefactors, one of whom is released”

Actors representing the two criminals were seen on the stage and, after a trial, one was found guilty, the other innocent. The guilty victim was condemned to death and the innocent one released.

Although the death scene of saviour Bel was a part of the Babylonian Mysteries, this was not shown in the amphitheatre. This fact is explained by Arthur Findlay as follows:

The program does not contain a scene of the god’s death. This may be because it took place on a hill where he was hung on one of the trees in the sacred grove, or crucified, or slain on an altar, and so could not be enacted on the stage. By now, the theatre is empty and everyone has climbed to the top of the hill to witness the death scene. As the actor, taking the place of Bel, and the one representing the malefactor, are not actually killed, it may be that the death the saviour-god actually suffered was not enacted. This is unlikely and it is more probable that the tablet which has been found referred only to the performance in the amphitheatre, which accounts for the death scene not being included thereon. They were heavy and would not be brought away from the theatre. After the scene, when the two malefactors appeared and one was sent after Bel to be sacrificed, the people would know that, for the time being, the performance in the theatre was over. For that reason, and because the death scene was not taking place in the theatre, it is not engraved on the tablet.

After the death scene, the audience would return to the theatre and the announcer would declare:

“Scene VI – After Bel has gone to the mount, the city breaks into tumult”

in this scene the disorderly mob was shown rioting and screaming to exemplify the tumult that took place in the city. The next scene was then announced

“Scene VII – Bel’s clothes are carried away”

In this scene Bel’s body had returned from the mount and was seen on the stage by the multitude. His clothes were removed and his corpse was prepared for burial. The priest then announced the next act.

“Scene VIII – Bel goes down into the mount and disappears from life”

the stage being near the side of a hill, a tomb was dug and the body of Bel was placed therein. The announcement of the subsequent scene would be:

“Scene IX – A weeping woman seeks him at the gate of burial.”

The weeping woman, perhaps the mother, wife, or lover of the dead saviour, added a dramatic touch to this ancient mystery play. Then followed the climax, when the announcer read:

“Scene X – Bel is brought back to life”

The moving story of what happened in the last act of the Babylonian Passion Play and its effect on later religions has been vividly reconstructed by Arthur Findlay:

We can imagine the enthusiasm and excitement this announcement would cause. The people and there is thunderous noise and shouting. Then comes a hush and they reseat themselves awaiting in eager expectancy the denouement of this great drama. During the silence, the stone which has been pushed up against the tomb is seen to move and slowly it is pushed aside. Out of it comes Bel in his burial clothes. As he emerges from the tomb, the audience rises and shouts in its frenzy till all are hoarse. The great drama has reached its climax. Their god has re-appeared to them, death has been conquered, and he has secured for all life in the hereafter. As the actor could not re-appear as a spirit as did Bel after his sacrifice, the re-appearance had to be a physical one, just as the Christian drama depicts Jesus having left the tomb as a human being……This great religious service has never been forgotten. It was copied by the Greeks and is still performed in memory of Christ. It has been preserved for us throughout the Christian era in the four Gospels. The Christian dramatist made such changes in the details as were required so that people should believe that it was an historical event which happened in Jerusalem and that the actors were those who believed to have been disciples of Jesus.

This and the other dramas along the Nile Valley, bear testimony to the irrefutable fact that these mythical dramas and Passion Plays are of a much greater antiquity than Christianity. The Xian resurrected Jesus is only the resurrected Karast of the ancient Nile Valley. He was also the resurrected saviour of Persia, India, ancient America and a host of other cultures all well documented by John Jackson, Kersey Greaves, Rev CH Vail, Arthur Findlay and Godfrey Higgins.

The congregation in an Oriental Orthodox church in India collects palm fronds for the Palm Sunday procession (the men of the congregation on the left of the sanctuary in the photo; the women of the congregation are collecting their fronds on the right of the sanctuary, outside the photo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We can now make sense of certain extra-religious Easter customs. The Easter Egg hunt, which is restricted to children, recalls part of the historian Plutarch’s narrative wherein he relates that it was children who told AST/Isis where to locate Yusir’s body. Thus, it is children who have the honour of searching for Yusir. The prize of the hunt, the Golden Egg is merely the great solar “Egg”, while the other prize, the silver egg is the full moon. Still another Easter tradition, eating hot cross buns evokes the celestial Mount Calvary upon which the “crossification” of the “sun” of god the very moment that its upward journey from the southern half of the celestial equator to the northern half separates it into two. Further, Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, his way strewn with palm leaves, in preparation of the Passover, can be interpreted in three ways:

We can identify Jesus with the Kemetic/Egyptian Ra-Yiu, who as the Golden Ass, is a zootype of the sun
It evokes the pre-Mosaic veneration of Ra-Yiu by the ancestors of the Israelites
It symbolises Jesus’ power over Satan, who, in his original form as the evil Set, was depicted as an Ass. Remember that the name Satan itself comes from the Egyptian “Set-An”.

Palm Sunday in Sanok (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Note also that in ancient Kemet/Egypt, the palm branch was viewed as a time symbol and its bifurcated leaves represented the equinox with its equal separation of day and night. The Palm Sunday procession then, symbolises Jesus the sun, Ra-Yiu, “passing over” the celestial equator on his ecliptic ascent at the equinox.

Further, because of the “wobble” created by the rotation of the earth around its axis, this event cannot take place at the exact time every year. This is why, with regard to the celebration of Easter the time varies from as early as March 22^nd or as late as April 25^th. In general, although not the strict rule, Easter is held on the Sunday after Pasach (Passover) which is usually the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. It is actually the intentional Xian mis-keeping of Pasach for anti-Jewish purposes. Because Pasach is kept in accordance with a lunar-solar calendar rather than with a strictly solar calendar, Pasach will always occur on the full moon of the first Jewish month, which begins with the closest new moon to the vernal equinox (no earlier than March 10).

The Easter bunny or hare is another signpost to the celestial myths of pre-Christian Kemet. All over Africa the hare is a lunar animal because it never appears to close its eyes, making it a type of full moon. It’s also a zootype of Yusir/Osiris: as an animal that leaps up, it is identified with Yusir as he rises from the dead.

We have just glimpsed at the great antiquity and esoteric symbolism behind an event most of us simply took for granted. As always, it is not the intention to dismiss the bible and Xianity with simplistic views. It is about throwing light on a subject that for far too long has been simplified. In a subsequent essay we will examine the crucifixion from a slightly different perspective.

The Catholic Encyclopedia
The Encyclopedia Biblica
Tertullianus Against Marcion – Tertullian
History of Christianity
World’s Crucified Saviors – Rev C H Vail
Afrikan Origins of the Major World Religions – Prof. Yosef ben-Jochannan
African Origins of the Major “Western” Religions – Prof. Yosef ben-Jochannan
Holy Blood Holy Grail – Henry Lincoln, Michael Baigent
Messianic Legacy – Henry Lincoln, Michael Baigent
Echoes of the Old Darkland – Charles S. Finch MD
History of the First Council of Nice
Introduction to African Civilisations – John Jackson
Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth – John Jackson
Man, God and Civilisations – John Jackson
African Presence in Early Europe – edited by Dr. Ivan Van Sertima
Black Athena Vol. I – Martin Bernal
Ancient Egypt the Light of the World [2Vols.] – Gerald Massey
Gerald Massey’s Lectures – Gerald Massey
Dead Sea Scrolls Deception – Henry Lincoln
Who Is This King of Glory? A Critical Study of the Christus/Messiah Tradition — Alvin Boyd Kuhn
The Dictionary of Bible and Religion – editor William Gentz
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Vol. I – Edward Gibbon
Forgery in Christianity – Joseph Wheless
The Women’s Encyclopedia of Myth and Secrets – Barbara G. Walker
The Dark Side of Christian History – Helen Ellerbie
Women, Food and Sex in History –Soledad de Montalvo [4 vols.]
The Passover Plot – Hugh Schonfield
James; the Brother of Jesus – Robert Eisenman
The Gnostic Gospels – Elaine Pagels
Personal interviews with the late elder Clemey George
The Secret Relationship between Blacks and Jews – edited by the Nation of Islam
African presence in Early Asia – Runoku Rashidi
The World’s 16 Crucified Saviours – Kersey Greaves

– By Corey Gilkes
From RaceandHistory.com

Please do find to read:

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The History and Origins of Easter (personalcreations.com)
Easter, which celebrates the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ, is a holiday actually based on an ancient Pagan ritual. Unlike most holidays, Easter does not fall on the same set date each year. Instead, Christians in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the full moon of the vernal equinox on March 21. Therefore, Easter is celebrated each year between March 22 and April 25. The exact origins of Easter are unknown, but some sources believe that the word “Easter” is taken from the Teutonic goddess of fertility and spring – Eostre. Easter has also been traced to the Latin words Hebdomada Alba – meaning white week – referencing Easter week in which white clothing is worn by people who get baptized.
Does Christianity Have Pagan Roots? (Part 2) The Pagan Myth Myth… No, I’m Not Stuttering (godfromthemachineblog.wordpress.com)
Superman at times would use his super breath and blow really hard and it produced powerful wind. And at the end of the first Superman movie, the 1978 version with Christopher Reeve, when Lois Lane dies, Superman flies around the earth so fast in the opposite direction of the earth’s spin that he changes the direction of the earth’s rotation and literally rewinds time so he is able to rescue Lois Lane before she dies*. Then, in the early 1990’s, DC Comics ran the storyline “The Death of Superman” where Superman was killed in a battle with Doomsday, but Superman returned after a long hiatus.
Ultimate Resource of Egyptian Gods (costumesupercenter.com)
The major deities controlled the most important aspects of life and the lesser deities were in charge of specific duties, i.e, protecting the crops. As it was in ancient times, some groups still worship the gods and goddesses, one such being Isis, goddess of women and magic.
Does Christianity Have Pagan Roots? (Part 1) How Did “Easter” Originate? (godfromthemachineblog.wordpress.com)
In one such blog article I read at this time last year, the author performed the most death-defying acrobatics I’ve ever read to attempt to show how Christianity is just a bootlegged copy of pagan religions. The comments below the article praised the author’s brilliance. One comment that stayed with me was a woman who unabashedly wrote: “There you go making sense again!” Sadly, the article wasn’t just death-defying but logic- and history-defying too.
The Truth About Easter (politicsandthebible.wordpress.com)
Easter is one of the biggest holidays in the Christian religion, along with Christmas and Good Friday. However it is also has many myths and misconceptions surrounding it. Some are honest mistakes and others are straight out lies.
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If you remember the controversy surrounding The Da Vinci Code, part of the premise of the story was that much of the Christian faith was removed or added over time. So much editing had occurred that there was very little evidence pointing to it except for a small circle of true believers who knew better and the hierarchy in the Vatican who didn’t want people to know the truth. One date when much of this editing occurred is 325 AD, during the Council of Nicaea, which is when most skeptics believe the Bible was compiled and most of the major tenets of Christianity were added. The problem with this is that the resurrection was very much a part of the religious creed for the 1st century Church. Cornelius Tacitus, one of the best Roman historians of the 1st century, mentions in the 15th book of his Annals a “mischievous superstition” was held by “a class hated for abominations, called Christians.” What could have this superstition been? Jesus proclaiming to be God? Well the emperors and several characters in Greco-Roman myths already did that, so nothing there that’s too outrageous. That he did miracles? The ancient world was full of miracle workers and performers of various wonders. Jesus shouldn’t have even made it on the radar if that was the reason. Could it be his resurrection? That seems to be the only one that fits. Tacitus was known for being skeptical of resurrection tales and the fact that people in a new religion with a deity that had died and rose again would have caught his attention particularly since Nero used them as a scapegoat. Josephus, a contemporary Jewish historian, also mentions the resurrection as well. “On the third day he appeared to them restored to life…” Some have argued that this text has been tampered with, but it should be noted the Arabic version of the text also includes it but is over all less biased in tone. Therefore we can be assured that Josephus did faithfully record the Christian belief of Christ’s resurrection. Whether he believed it or not is up for debate. And finally we have I Corinthian 15:1-11. Often described as the first creed to be used by the Church, it adamantly recounts the death and resurrection of Christ. Considering this epistle would have been written in the 40s or 50s AD, it is quite clear that the early Church believed in the resurrection since the beginning.
Did Christians really ‘steal’ Easter? (religion.blogs.cnn.com)
Just because words in different languages sound the same doesn’t mean they are related. In Swedish, the word “kiss” means urine.

But the biggest issue for Christians is the claim that Jesus’ resurrection – the faith’s central tenet – might have pagan roots.

Even apart from whether or not Jesus actually rose from the dead, many Christians claim that the very idea is unique.

There are other biblical examples of people being raised from the dead – think of Jesus raising Lazarus. But those people went on to die again. Only Jesus was raised from the dead to live forever.
Jesus vs Horus Myth…The True Facts (faithgracetorah.net)
Everyday there are thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands if not millions of people trying to disprove the Bible and mystify the story of Jesus to where they will try to connect him to some other god of another culture such as the Egyptians. Other times, people don’t even try to connect him to another god, but rather they form pseudo comparisons with people such as Ceasar. But are these stories, myths, and comparisons true or is it just some pseudo scholarship gone viral?! Today I’d like to tackle one of these myths in particular: the Jesus – Horus connection.
Easter Tradition: Egg Hunt (historytalks.wordpress.com)
The egg was a symbol of the rebirth of the earth in Pagan celebrations of spring and was adopted by early Christians as an Easter symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. The egg symbol was likened to the tomb from which Christ arose. Traditionally the game is associated with Easter and Easter eggs (Easter egg hunt), but it has also been popular with spring time birthday parties.

At least since the 17th century the idea of the Easter Bunny to bring the Easter eggs has been known.

The novelty of the introduction of Easter egg hunts into England is evidenced by A. E. Housman’s inaugural lecture as Professor of Latin at University College, London in 1892, in which he said, “In Germany at Easter time they hide coloured eggs about the house and garden that the children may amuse themselves in discovering them.”
Happy Easter (zodiaclivetarotreading.com)
The term ‘Easter‘ is not of Christian origin. It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean goddess and also it links to the pagan goddess Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Europe. Similarly, the “dawn goddess of fertility was known as Ostare, Eostre and Ausos. Similar Goddesses were known by other names in other cultures and were celebrated in the springtime. Some were:
- Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess
- Hathor from ancient Egypt;
- Ostara a Norse Goddess

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Tagged as Amen-Ra, Ancient Egypt, ancient Kemet, ancient Persia, Ancient Pre-Christian cultures, Anubis, Aphrodite, Apostle Peter, Arthur Findlay, Ashtoreth, Ass, Astarte, Auset, Babylonia, Bel, Carnival, Ceres, Christ, Christian era, Christianity, Coloured eggs, Creation, Crossification, Cybele, Death of Jesus, Demeter, Drama of Bel, Earth Mother, Easter, Easter bunny, Easter celebrations, Easter customs, Easter Egg hunt, Eggs, Eostre, Equinox, Evil, Fertility, Freya, Full moon, Geb, Golden Ass, Golden Egg, Gospels, Great Earth Mother Goddess, Herodotus, Heru, Ishtar, Isis, Israelites, Jesus, Karast, King of the earth, King Rhampsinitus, Lunar-solar calendar, Messiah, Messu, Mount Calvary, Nile Valley, Nut, Osiris, Ostara, Pagan, Paganism, Palm Sunday, Palm Sunday procession, Pasach (Passover), Passion Plays, Passover, Pesach, Phagwa, Political power, Psalms of David, Ra, Ra-Yiu, Renewed life, Resurrection, Resurrection of Jesus, Satan, Satan or evil, Saviour God, Set, Set-An, Shu, Silver egg, Spring festivals, Spring solstice festival, Star constellations, sun-god, Tefnut, temple of Auset, temple of Isis, the Passion, Thoth, Venus, Vernal equinox, Wolves, Xianity, Yusir, Yusirian Drama

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Some Christians consider Islam a threat to their faith. In doing so, they do not ask why that faith needs to be a threat to our society.

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Celebrating Yeshua’s Resurrection In An Authentic Messianic Jewish Way

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Messengers of Peace and Positivism – Boodschappers van Vrede en Positivisme

Club members their own blog-writings – Clubleden hun eigen persoonlijke blogs

Articles by Guestwriters members – Artikelen bij Gastschrijvers leden

Thoughts by and a Look at the world by Marcus Ampe on: Marcus Ampe's Space

An other look at the world by Marcus Ampe on: Some View on the World

Recent Posts on the other Lifestyle Magazine: Stepping Toes

Recent Posts: Belgian Ecclesia Brussel - Leuven

Recent Posts by the Brethren in Christ: Broeders in Christus

Recente Postings: Belgische Broeders In Christus

Recent Posts by: Messiah For All

Recent Posts: Belgian Biblestudents - Belgische Bijbelstudenten

Recent Posts by bible Scholars: Bijbelvorser = Bible Researcher

Recent Posts at: Relating to God

Recent Posts by: Immanuel Verbondskind - עמנואל קאָווענאַנט קינד

Recent Posts by: Jeshuaisten / Jeshuaists

Recent Posts from a: Jeshuaist

Celebrating
Yeshua’s Resurrection In An Authentic Messianic Jewish Way