by GC LaMar
Some people are no longer bearing eternal “marks” that distinguish them as
belonging to the LORD God. The very abandonment of God’s appointed times
results in loss of identity ── which is also called spiritual death.
The LORD God ── through the Prophet Hosea ── has prophesied judgment. “’ I
will also cause all her mirth to cease, Her feast days, Her New Moons, Her Sabbaths
── All her appointed feasts.’” – Hosea 2:11.
Dead to the LORD God: Condition of Disobedience
Those who refuse or outright reject the LORD God’s commandments──including
the keeping of His Sabbaths and Holy Days──are spiritually dead, separated from
the Life of God.
The Apostle Paul ── inspired by the Spirit of God tells us ── “And you He made
alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2) in which you once walked according
to the course of this world, according to THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE
AIR, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3) among whom also we
all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” –
Ephesians 2:1-3.
In the Epistle to the Colossians, he wrote ── “And you, …” – speaking to true
Christians “ … being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all your trespasses.” –
Colossians 2:13.
So, until God the Father calls you, places upon you the gift of repentance, properly
baptized, and has hands laid upon you ── receiving the glorious gift of God’s Spirit
── you will remain dead in your trespasses and sins. You, officially, do not belong
to the LORD God; instead enslaved to the god of this present evil age.
Satan the Devil: The god of this world and his deceived followers
The Apostle Paul reveals a shocking truth ── “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is
veiled to those who are PERISHING, 4) whose minds the god of this age has blinded,
who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine on them.” – 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.
God’s living word calls Satan the Devil “the god of this age.” And that he has blinded
the minds of those people who are perishing. Those who outright reject the LORD
God’s holy and righteous commandments ── including the keeping of His Sabbaths
and Holy Days ── continue to remain under the blindness and dominion of
Satan the Devil and his demons, even if they are proclaiming that they are a
“Christian.”
The Apostle John draws a stark red line ── “He who sins is of the devil, for the
devil has sinned FROM THE BEGINNING. For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9) Whoever has been born
of God [which means resurrected into the very family of God – into the kingdom of
God] does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has
been born of God. 10) In this the children of God and the children of the devil are
manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does
not love his brother.” – 1 John 3:8-10.
He also defines what the LORD God defines as sin ── “Whoever commits sin also
commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” – 1 John 3:4.
Those who continue in their transgressions ── the transgression of God’s Law ──
are witnessing to the world that they “belong” to the devil, and not to the LORD
God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifested.
The Grave Deception of Worship on Sunday
Those who claim
to be “Christians,” yet observe Sunday as their Sabbath, instead of the seventh-day Sabbath, which is now called Saturday ── are also witnessing to the world that they “belong” to the devil. Sunday observance has no biblical
foundation and is but a tradition of men that disobeys the LORD God’s holy
command.
Our Lord Jesus crying out unto those who lay aside His commands for men’s
traditions ── “ … ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7) And in vain they
worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8) For LAYING
ASIDE THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD, you hold the tradition of men ──’” –
Mark 7:6, 7, 8.
13) ‘making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have
handed down. And many such things you do.’”
Our Lord GOD has never changed His Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day.
Sunday worship originated from pagan sun-worship, and was later adopted by
“BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” ── the Roman Catholic Church.
Those who observe Sunday, while claiming to be “Christian,” are not children of
God, but are rather children of the devil ── and are following man-made traditions.
The Apostle Matthew recorded for us ── “ …’ Why do you also transgress the
commandment of God because of your tradition? … 6) … Thus you have made the
commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7) Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah
prophesy about you, …’” – Matthew 15:3, 6, 7.
Again, in the Epistle to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul warns us ── “Beware lest
anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit …” – like someone trying
to tell you that “man didn’t land on the moon in 1969,” or “the earth is flat,” or the
“Devil’s Tower in Wyoming is one giant petrified tree.” Vain philosophy and empty
deceit! “ … according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of
the world, and not according to Christ.” – Colossians 2:8.
The Rejection of the Lord’s Holy Days Because They Are “Jewish”?
Many who claim “Christianity” outright reject the seven annual Holy Days because
they claim they are “Jewish.” Yet, the LORD God specifically calls them “the feasts
of the LORD” – Leviticus 23:2, 4. So, they belong to the LORD God, not any ethnic
group.
Leviticus 23:2 ── “’ Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of
the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, THESE ARE MY
FEASTS.’”
Leviticus 23:4 ── “’ These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations, which
you shall proclaim at their appointed times.’”
The LORD God gave these feasts to the children of Israel first, but they were always
intended for all people. The false teaching that they are only for the Jews contradicts
the living word of God.
Notice the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Spirit of God, explains ── “For he is not a
Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;
29) but he is a Jew who is one INWARDLY; and circumcision is THAT OF THE
HEART, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” – Romans 2:28-29.
He also explains to us in the Epistle to the Galatians ── “There is neither Jew nor
Greek [Gentile], there is neither slave nor free …” – this phrase from the first century
AD, the Apostle Paul is emphasizing that there is accountability before the LORD
God and equal value of all people. “ … there is neither male nor female; for you are
all one in Christ Jesus.” … again, this phrase from the first century AD, the Apostle
Paul is emphasizing the unity of all true Christians, regardless of whether you are male
or female. 29) And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs
according to the promise.” – Galatians 3:28-29.
So, true spiritual identity transcends ethnicity, gender, or social status. All who
belong to Christ Jesus are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise ──
they are spiritual Israel ── and are therefore heirs of the covenant promises,
including the commandment of the keeping and observance of the LORD God’s
appointed times.
He reminds us ── “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh ──
who are called Uncircumcision [unclean] by what is called the Circumcision made
in the flesh by hands ── 12) that at that time you were without Christ, being
[strangers] from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of
promise, having no hope and WITHOUT GOD in the world. 13) But now in Christ
Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. …
19) Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens
with the saints and members of the household of God.” – Ephesians 2:11-13, 19.
So Gentile believers are “grafted” into the house of Israel, becoming fellow citizens
with the saints and members of the household of God. They are no longer strangers
and foreigners of the Old and New Covenants of promise. Sadly, to reject the LORD
God’s Holy Days because they are “Jewish” is to remain a stranger and a foreigner
to the household of God.
Inspired by the Spirit of God, the Apostle Paul explains this to us via the Epistle to
the Romans ── “And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a
wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the
root and fatness of the olive tree, 18) do not boast against the branches. But if you
do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.” –
Romans 11:17-18.
This analogy illustrates the relationship between Israel and the Gentiles, where the
cultivated olive tree represents Israel, while the wild olive branches represent Gentile
believers. The Apostle Paul uses this metaphor to explain how Gentiles have come
to share in the promises originally given to Israel, emphasizing the inclusion of
Gentile believers in the spiritual blessings and promises.
Verse 24 ── “For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and
were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will
these, who are natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?”
So, Gentile believers are “grafted” into the spiritual olive tree, which represents the
house of Israel. To outright reject the house of Israel’s covenant signs, while claiming
that you are “grafted” into the spiritual olive tree, is contrary to God’s living word, and you are spiritually blind.
Replacing God’s Holy Days With Pagan Holidays
Not only do most outright reject or explain away the LORD God’s Holy Days, but
they also replace them with worldly holidays that originated in paganism. Such as
Easter, New Year’s Day, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day,
Halloween, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Mardi Gras, Palm Sunday, St. Stephen's
Day, Shrove Tuesday ── and the list is virtually endless! Celebrations with
absolutely no biblical basis, but rather have their roots in ancient paganism.
Such as Saturnalia and the worship of the goddess Asherah ── “Hear the word
which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2) Thus says the LORD: ‘Do not
learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the
Gentiles are dismayed at them. 3) For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one
cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. 4)
They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that
it will not topple. 5) They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They
must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them,
For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.’” – Jeremiah 10:1-5.
The Prophet Jeremiah ── inspired by the Lord our God of the heavens and of earth
── is describing a pagan custom of decorating an ancient Asherah pole, decorating
it with silver and gold. So, indeed, there are similarities between this world’s modern
Christmas tree and what the LORD God is telling us through the prophets Isaiah and
Jeremiah. The Christmas tree is a symbol. The evergreen tree was a symbol of life
and fertility and was a custom of the ancient Sumerians. A practice that was
incorporated… again… by “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF
HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” ── the Roman
Catholic Church.
The LORD God specifically commands us that we are not to worship them in that
way ── “’ When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which
you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30) take heed
to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from
before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, …’” – saying ‘I want
to know how this nation worshipped their goddess Asherah (which even more
anciently was Semiramis, the wife/mother to Nimrod), because I want to worship
God in this manner.’ “ …31) You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way;
for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods;
for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. 32) Whatever I
command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from
it.’” – Deuteronomy 12:29-32.
Again, the LORD our God explicitly forbids anyone adopting pagan practices to
worship Him! Yet, this is precisely what the Mother of Harlots ── the Roman
Catholic Church and her daughter Protestant churches ── has done!
We are warned by the Apostle Paul ── inspired by the LORD our God ── “Do not
be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has
righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15)
And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an
unbeliever? 16) And what agreement has the temple of God [the Church of Jesus
Christ] with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
‘I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be
My people.’ 17) Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the
Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.’” – 2 Corinthians 6:14-17.
The LORD our God calls for us to separate ourselves from all pagan practices such
as Easter, New Year’s Day, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day, and
Halloween. □
To be continued.
Some items of related interest may include
Personal From... Christmas Challenges (Audio Video)
ChristMas... It's Origin (PDF booklet)
Krampus──Not For Christians! (Article)
'In Vain They Worship Me!' (Article)
When Does God's New Year Begin? (Article)
Commentary: X-Mas by GC LaMar (Article w/Audio)
Halloween Is Not Christian (Article)
Satan's World (PDF booklet)
Commentary: Happy New Year? by GC LaMar (Article w/Audio)
Commentary: History of the Sabbath by GC LaMar (Article)
What Is A True Christian? (Article)
Commentary: A Celebration to Demons! (Article)
Are You But A Traditionalist? (Article w/Audio)
Should Christians Observe Halloween? (Article)
The Fourth Commandment! by GC LaMar (Article)
'It is a sign' (Article)
Saturday Sabbath with Jews and Sunday with Gentiles? (Article w/Audio)
Commentary: The Day of the Sun by GC LaMar (Article)
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