Why Does Christianity Exist?
Why Christianity?
It's not what you think it is.
Have you ever wondered why 'Christianity' is the predominant religion of the world? Is it because the doctrines of the church in Rome and her proselytising daughters are provable 'truths'? Or, could there be another reason? To get a better perspective on this subject, we must first understand that the ETERNAL CREATOR of the universe, the Mighty ONE of Israel does not have any adversary or equal.
(Deuteronomy 4:35) (KJV) Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the ETERNAL he is SOVEREIGN; there is none (#H369) else (#H5750) beside (#H905) him.
The English word "none" comes from the Hebrew word[1] "'ayin" and means "to be nothing or not exist; a nonentity".
The English word "else" comes from the Hebrew word[2] "'owd" and it is "generally used as a negative particle of iteration, continuance, or more" thus it means, "there is none else but the original".
The English word "besides" comes from the Hebrew word[3] "bad" and means "by implication a part of the body, i.e. branch of a tree, figurative as chief of a city; only, besides".
Putting that all together, the ETERNAL is telling us that He is the only CREATOR[4] and there is none else, who is His equal, or who is alongside Him, or is a 2nd or 3rd part of Him, or that contradicts Him. We can see this in action when He sets the boundaries that Satan must work within while dealing with Job (Job 1:8-12, Job 2:1-7). Thus, Satan is not the adversary of the CREATOR, because there is none like the CREATOR. The CREATOR alone, is in total control. However, Satan's dealings with Adam and Eve, and Job, show that Satan is the adversary of mankind.
As mankind's adversary, Satan is ever-drawing us toward disobedience of the CREATOR, thus inducing humans to disobey the Words of the Almighty, and to consequently worship a 'god' other than the Mighty One of Israel! In effect, this is what Satan did with Adam and Eve, and what Satan tried to do with Job, and what Satan continues to do with us.
Satan's Plan A: Listen To Me!
From time immemorial, Satan's original goal[5] was to take over the ETERNAL's position. Satan rebelled and failed to overthrow the ETERNAL, note that it tried and failed. This is recorded in (Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28). Since the ETERNAL has no equal, He lays down the boundaries that Satan will follow in testing mankind. Notice how Satan operates, it is very clever, subtle, and knows humanity's weak spots:
(Genesis 3:1-5)[6] (KJV) 1Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which 'the LORD God' had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath 'God' said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, 'God' hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5For 'God' doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as 'gods', knowing good and evil.
In other words: (The Living Bible) "The serpent was the craftiest of all the creatures the ETERNAL CREATOR had made. So, the serpent came to the woman. 'Really'? he asked. 'None of the fruit in the garden? The CREATOR says you mustn't eat any of it'? 'Of course we may eat it', the woman told him. 'It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not to eat. The CREATOR says we mustn't eat it or even touch it, or we will die'. 'That's a lie'! the serpent hissed. 'You'll not die! The CREATOR knows very well that the instant you eat it you will become like Him, for your eyes will be opened, you will be able to distinguish good from evil'!"
When Eve told the serpent that the ETERNAL had commanded, "Do not even touch the tree", and that "it was the ONE in the center of the garden", she should have known[7] that she was not quoting the CREATOR accurately. He had said, "do not eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil", and in addition there were two trees in the center of the garden. He had not said "Do not touch it". Therefore, she was more vulnerable to Satan's deception than if she had firmly stood on "Thus said the ETERNAL", but because of the mendacity on her part, her resolve was lessened and she succumbed to Satan's lie, and ate of the fruit.
Satan, the most cunning of all the creation, realized that since it could not overthrow the CREATOR, it could cause humanity to stray from the CREATOR through sin. Remember, Satan's original goal was to control the universe:
(Isaiah 14:12-16) (KJV) 12How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of 'God': I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
In other words: (TLB) "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,[8] son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, mighty though you were against the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, 'I will ascend to heaven and rule the angels. I will take the highest throne. I will preside on the Mount of Assembly far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High'. But instead, you will be brought down to the pit of hell, down to its lowest depths. Everyone there will stare at you and ask, 'Can this be the one who shook the earth and the kingdoms of the world'?"
(Ezekiel 28:11-16) (KJV) 11Moreover the word of 'the ETERNAL' came unto me, saying, 12Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith 'the Lord GOD'; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13Thou hast been in Eden the garden of 'God'; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of 'God'; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of 'God': and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
In other words: (TLB) "Then this further message came to me from the ETERNAL: 'Son of dust [Ezekiel], weep for the king of Tyre. Tell him, the ETERNAL SOVEREIGN says; you were the perfection of wisdom and beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of CREATOR; your clothing was bejeweled with every precious stone, ruby, topaz, diamond, chrysolite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, carbuncle, and emerald, all in beautiful settings of finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created. I appointed you to be the anointed Guardian Angel. You had access to the holy mountain of CREATOR. You walked among the stones of fire. You were perfect in all you did from the day you were created until that time when wrong was found in you. Your great wealth filled you with internal turmoil, and you sinned. Therefore, I cast you out of the mountain of CREATOR like a common sinner. I destroyed you, O Guardian Angel, from the midst of the stones of fire'."
Satan's Plan B: Be Forgiven By Grace.
Satan then implemented, it's Plan B to cause mankind to sin before the ETERNAL. This activity has continued throughout history until this day.
The first step in this plan was to inspire the great mystery religion. In order for his plan to work, the objective was to have the people worship something other than the ETERNAL CREATOR. He established the myth of a trinity, a system consisting of a virgin human mother, who was impregnated by a 'god' or angel. She then gave birth to a son who would be half 'god' and half man. The son would then die for the sins of the people, and all they needed to do was "believe in this son", to receive his forgiveness by the free gift of "grace". No repentance was needed. This scenario was repeated more than sixteen times in various cultures and nations throughout history. The plan culminated in the birth of "Jesus Christ", the most famous "savior" of all[9]. For more on this, see the article: 'Religious Saviors And Their Claims'.
Referring to Holomon's Electronic Dictionary on the subject "Grace" Holomon states:
Grace: Undeserved Acceptance. For Christians, the word "grace" is virtually synonymous with the gospel of 'god's gift of unmerited salvation[10] in "Jesus Christ". To express this, the [New Testament]™ writers used the Greek word 'charis', which had a long previous history in secular Greek. These meanings also appear in the biblical use of charis, but only in the [New Testament]™ does it come to have the familiar sense which 'grace' bears for 'Christians'.
Grace in the Old Testament:
No one word in the Hebrew Old Testament is equivalent to the [New Testament]™ use of charis for 'god's unmerited gift of salvation. The translators [the early Catholic Church fathers], of the Greek Old Testament, characteristically translated the Hebrew word "chanan/chen" as "charis", and the King James Version likewise often translates this as "grace" or "favor" or "mercy". In none of these instances, however, is there any emphasis on the recipient's lack of merit as in the [New Testament]™ concept of "grace". Closest to this idea are the few passages in the prophets which refer to 'god's gracious favor to Israel in delivering her from captivity and restoring the nation (Jeremiah 31:2; Zechariah 4:7; Zechariah 12:10).
'God's grace shines forth clearly in the Exodus, where 'god' delivered an undeserving people before they entered into His Covenant. Still, it remained for the [New Testament]™ writers[11] to catch the full vision of 'god's grace in the light of "Jesus Christ".
Grace in the [New Testament]™:
We owe our distinctly 'Christian' understanding of "grace" to the [self proclaimed] apostle Paul.[12] Paul had too profound a sense of human sin to believe that a person could ever earn 'god's acceptance (Romans 3:23). It is through "Christ's" atoning work on the cross that 'god's grace comes to us, setting us free from the bondage of sin (Romans 3:24-31). "Christ" is the Representative who breaks the reign of sin and brings life and acceptance with 'god' through divine grace (Romans 5:15, Romans 5:17). 'god's grace is so bound up with "Christ" that Paul could speak of the "grace of our 'Lord Jesus Christ'"[13] (2 Corinthians 8:9; 2 Timothy 2:1)".
Actually, the ETERNAL CREATOR simply requires repentance to gain forgiveness of sin.[14] Read Psalms 51 where King David shows us how to repent and explains that sin is toward the ETERNAL alone:
(Psalms 51:4) (KJV) Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
In other words: (TLB) "Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight; That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge". For more on this, see the articles: 'Are We Saved By Grace?', and 'Is Blood Required To Atone For Sin?'.
The Tip of the Iceberg.
During Roman times, the population of the Western World was predominately unlearned and held [among others], pagan 'Mithraism' as its primary religion. When 'Christianity' arrived on the scene, it was suppressed for fear that the government would lose control of the people. In the next three hundred years, 'Christianity' gained favor under Roman Emperor Constantine and grew until it encompassed the entire Western World.
It was during this time that the Roman government began to support 'Christianity'. The Roman government actively persecuted the Jews and Sabbath keepers, accusing them of being Judaizers, the ones who kept the laws of the ETERNAL, giving full reverence and obedience only to the one true CREATOR. This was perceived to be a threat to the Roman government and to the church in Rome! Why would Constantine care if the populace accepted 'Christianity' or continued worshipping pagan 'gods'?
Government's Choice of Religion.
To understand this question we must remember that the Catholic Church dictated and maintained the [New Testament]™ writings. Why would the Catholic Church support a total dictator and despot?[15] " Elementary, dear Watson". With the support of the Roman government, the [New Testament]™ was written to fit the agenda of the Roman government as it related to power, control and taxes. The Church wrote it this way to gain control over the unlearned masses. The Church got the tithe and the government got the taxes. Together, they completely ruled every aspect of the people's lives. The government provided the fear of physical punishment during this lifetime and the church provided the fear of an eternal burning in the purported flames of hell in the next life.
However, how could the Church influence the people to be totally subject to the ruling government? Again, "Elementary, dear Watson". Since the early church fathers (church in Rome) composed the [New Testament]™ writings, they simply manipulated the text to make sure that the people remained subject to the system. The system was a state and church coalition, they were separate entities but worked as a close knit alliance.
Note: The author is not being critical of any government, nor is he advocating any type of civil disobedience for any cause or purpose, whether it is violent or nonviolent, or whether the cause or purpose is religious, political, sexual, racial, or some other cause.
The [New Testament]™ shows numerous examples of the influence of government over the church, by government mandated decrees being written into so-called [New Testament]™ scripture:
(Matthew 22:17-21) (KJV) 17Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18But 'Jesus' perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto 'God' the things that are 'god's.
In other words: (TLB) Now tell us [the Pharisees], [16] is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not? Well, then, he [j-sus] said, 'give it to Caesar if it is his, and give 'god' everything that belongs to 'god''.
(Romans 13:1-7) (KJV) 1Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of 'God': the powers that be are ordained of 'God'. 2Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of 'God': and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4For he is the minister of 'God' to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are 'god's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
In other words: (TLB) obey the government,[17] for 'God' is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that 'god' has not placed in power.[18] So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey 'god', and punishment will follow [play by the rules of the system, right or wrong]. For the policeman does not frighten people who are doing right [not defying the system]; but those doing evil will always fear him. So, if you don't want to be afraid, keep the laws and you will get along well. The policeman is sent by 'god' to help you [really, sent by the ETERNAL?]. But, if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for he will have you punished. He is sent by 'god' for that very purpose. Obey the laws [obey Caesar], then, for two reasons: first, to keep from being punished, and second, just because you know you should. Pay your taxes too [yes, by all means, pay your taxes], for these same two reasons. For government workers need to be paid so that they can keep on doing 'god's work[19] , serving you. Pay everyone whatever he ought to have: pay your taxes and import duties gladly [i.e. smile on April 15th], obey those over you, and give honor and respect to all those to whom it is due.
(Titus 3:1) (KJV) Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.
In other words: (TLB) Remind your people to obey the government and its officers, and always to be obedient[20] and ready for any honest work.
Notice what Saint Pete (the keeper of the Pearly Gates) tells us, that the people are to obey all governments for "the Lords" sake. This shows who their 'god' is in league with.
(1 Peter 2:13-17) (KJV) 13Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for "the Lord's" sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 15For so is the will of 'God', that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of 'God'. 17Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear 'God'. Honour the king.
In other words: (TLB) For "the Lord's" sake, obey every law of your government: those of the king as head of the state, and those of the king's officers, for he has sent them to punish all who do wrong, and to honor those who do right. It is 'god's will that your good lives should silence those who foolishly condemn the gospel without knowing what it can do for them, having never experienced its power. 16You are free from the law [of the ETERNAL], but that doesn't mean you are free to do wrong. Live as those who are free to do only 'god's will at all times. Show respect for everyone. Love 'Christians' everywhere. Fear 'god' and honor Caesar [the government]".
Let's look at verse 16 in order to make an observation. The story flow is about obeying the laws of the governments of men, yet Peter slips in a zinger about the laws of the CREATOR. The only laws that Peter declares we are free from are the immutable laws of the ETERNAL, yet we are to honor the laws of men. How ludicrous! The word 'Free' in verse 16 is Strong's #G1658 - eleutheros, and it means 'in an ethical sense: free from the yoke of the Mosaic Law'.
What humans need to do is not only fear (stand in awe of) the ETERNAL, but also give honor to Him. The governments and laws of men should be in line with the laws of the SOVEREIGN. Next [Saint?] Pete states one additional thing that 'Christians' must do, and that is to show love to other 'Christians'. The [New Testament]™ book of deception states that if you love your neighbor as yourself, that fulfills the holy[21] law of 'god' and no repentance is required.
Thus, it is easy to see why any government would like to have its own state religion, or as in the case of Rome, one that supported the government by the writings of the early church fathers of Rome. The NT church was supported by the government of Rome, in turn, the church mandated adherence to Roman law.
In contrast to obeying and honoring Caesar or any government of men, this is how Holomon's Electronic Dictionary sums up the government style in ancient Israel:
In understanding the biblical conception of government, one must remember that biblical theology presents early Israel as a theocracy, having 'god' as king and ruler (Judges 8:22-23; 1 Samuel 8:7-9; Psalms 93-99). Ultimate authority resides in 'god' and 'god' alone. Human government is, therefore, always limited and always intended to be within the framework of 'god's will. The best ruler will be the one who best carries out 'god's design for just rule".[22]
This observation by Holomon's of governments honoring the ETERNAL is in direct contrast with the [New Testament]™ writings that urge the people to honor the government, fear the ETERNAL but honor Caesar. What is needed from the people is to 'be in awe' (fear) the ETERNAL and to also honor and obey Him. There was no confusion in the mind of Gideon on who should be the head of government:
(Judges 8:22-23) (KJV) 22Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. 23And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: 'the ETERNAL' shall rule over you.
In other words: (TLB) Now the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Be our king! You, your sons, and all your descendants shall be our rulers, for you have saved us from Midian". But Gideon replied, "I will not be your king, nor shall my son; the ETERNAL is your King"!
The following verses show how the ETERNAL feels about the governments of men:
(1 Samuel 8:5-8) (KJV) 5And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto 'the LORD'. 7And 'the LORD' said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other 'gods', so do they also unto thee.
In other words: (TLB) They (the people told him [Samuel]) that since his retirement things hadn't been the same, for his sons were not good men. "Give us a king like all the other nations have", they pleaded. Samuel was terribly upset and went to the ETERNAL for advice. "Do as they say", the ETERNAL replied, "for I am the one they are rejecting, not you, they don't want Me The Almighty to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually forsaken Me and followed other 'gods'. And now they are giving you the same treatment".
At this point you might be thinking, "Yes, I can now see why the government would want its citizens to be 'Christians',[23] but why would the people not want to follow the one true CREATOR"?
People's Choice of Religion.
A wise sage once said something to the effect that, "All human endeavors, if left to their own devices will degenerate". Why would that be? The master deceiver who fully understands human nature, explains why in his book the [New Testament]™, when it points out that sin is pleasurable, fun, and it pleases the human senses:
(Hebrews 11:24-25) (KJV) 24By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of 'God', than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
In other words: (TLB) It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the grandson of the king, but chose to share ill-treatment with 'god's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.
The indication here is that if you follow that old harsh cruel 'god' of the Old Testament Scriptures you will suffer, but if you follow the [New Testament]™ writings and its doctrine of "love" and of "just believing" that you will be able to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. This is almost stated in the next two verses:
(Romans 8:20-21) (KJV) 20For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of 'God'.
In other words: (TLB) For on that day thorns and thistles, sin, death, and decay, the things that overcame the world against its will at 'god's command, will all disappear, and the world around us will share in the glorious freedom from sin which 'god's children enjoy.
(1 Peter 4:2-3) (KJV) 2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of 'God'. 3For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries.
In other words: (TLB) And you won't be spending the rest of your life chasing after evil desires but will be anxious to do the will of 'god'. You have had enough in the past of the evil things the 'godless' enjoy, sex sin, lust, getting drunk, wild parties, drinking bouts, and the worship of idols, and other terrible sins".
You should easily understand that repentance is not what the people want. They do not want to quit enjoying the pleasure of sin, they want to be deceived. You must understand that "taking someone into your heart" is not repentance.
Preaching Deceits.
The people do not want to obey their CREATOR, they want to be told that the SOVEREIGN's Way is not in effect any more. Notice these examples:
(Isaiah 30:8-11) (KJV) 8Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: 9That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of 'the LORD': 10Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: 11Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.
In other words: (TLB) Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and note it on a scroll, that it may be for time to come, forever and ever: that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the ETERNAL; who say to the seers, "Do not see", and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us right things. Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us".
(Jeremiah 5:30-31) (KJV) 30A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; 31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
In other words: (TLB) An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?
Notice that the priests (preachers or ministers) rule by their own power. The Pope claims to be the 'Vicar of "Christ"' and his words are claimed to be 'infallible' when uttered from his throne chair. All religious groups have their own unique 'sin list' which defines what the masses can or cannot do. This may or may not, be related to the ETERNAL CREATOR's Commandments, Statutes, or Judgments.
Examples of [New Testament]™ Lying Deceit.
1) The Creator in the Holy Scriptures [OT] says, "repent and return to me".
(Deuteronomy 30:1-3) (KJV) 1And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither 'the LORD thy God' hath driven thee, 2And shalt return unto 'the LORD thy God', and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; 3That then 'the LORD thy God' will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither 'the LORD thy God' hath scattered thee.
In other words: (TLB) When all these things have happened to you, the blessings and the curses I have listed, you will meditate upon them as you are living among the nations where the ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN will have driven you. If at that time you want to return to the ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN, and you and your children have begun wholeheartedly to obey all of the Commandments I have given you today, then the ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN will rescue you from your captivity! He will have mercy upon you and come and gather you out of all the nations where He will have scattered you.
Satan says in his book, the [New Testament]™ book of deception, "only believe".
(Romans 10:8-10) (KJV) 8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth 'the Lord Jesus', and shalt believe in thine heart that 'God' hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
In other words: (TLB) For salvation that comes from trusting "Christ", which is what we preach, is already within easy reach of each of us; in fact, it is as near as our own hearts and mouths. For if you tell others with your own mouth that "Jesus Christ" is your "Lord" and believe in your own heart that 'god' has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in his heart that a man becomes right with 'god'; and with his mouth he tells others of his faith, confirming his salvation".
2)The Creator in the Holy Scriptures [OT] says, "sacrifices are only to be done at the Temple":
(Leviticus 17:1-6) (KJV) 1And 'the LORD' spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which 'the LORD' hath commanded, saying, 3What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, 4And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto 'the LORD' before the tabernacle of 'the LORD'; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people: 5To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto 'the LORD', unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto 'the LORD'. 6And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of 'the LORD' at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto 'the LORD'.
In other words: (TLB) "the ETERNAL gave to Moses these additional instructions for Aaron and the priests and for all the people of Israel: 'Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, lamb, or goat anywhere except at the Tabernacle is guilty of murder and shall be excommunicated from his nation'. The purpose of this law is to stop the people of Israel from sacrificing in the open fields, and to cause them to bring their sacrifices to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and to burn the fat as a savor 'the Lord' will appreciate and enjoy".
Satan says in his book, the [New Testament]™ book of deception, "sacrifices are not needed":
(Hebrews 10:6-12) (KJV) 6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O 'God'. 8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O 'God'. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of 'Jesus Christ' once for all. 11And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of 'God';
In other words: (TLB) You were not satisfied with the animal sacrifices, slain and burnt before you as offerings for sin. Then I said, "See, I have come to do your will it is the people's will to have a vicarious sacrifice for themselves , to lay down my life, just as the scriptures said that I would". After "Christ" said this about [the people] not being satisfied with the various sacrifices and offerings required under the old system, he then added, "Here I am. I have come to give my life". He cancels the first system in favor of a far better one. Under this new plan we have been forgiven and made clean by "Christ's"" dying for us once and for all. Under the old agreement the priests stood before the altar day after day offering sacrifices that could never take away our sins".
It does not matter how good a situation human beings have they will eventually degenerate, if left to their own devices. A good example of this was the Children of Israel at Mt. Sinai. The ETERNAL CREATOR had promised many fantastic blessings and He promised to make them a nation of priests. Nevertheless, just as soon as Moses back was turned, what did they do? They made golden calves, sacrificed to them, had a festive meal, and then they cast off their clothes and rose up to play. Human nature left unchecked will always degenerate.
Pagan Signs.
The Sabbath keeping "Christian" group I was formerly a member of did not keep the holidays that are kept by the majority of "Christian" denominations such as "Christmas", Easter, Valentines, Halloween, New Years, the "Lord's" Supper, Hot Cross Buns, King Cakes, Lent, and many other traditions. It is very easy to prove that these celebrations are of pagan origin, just look them up in an encyclopedia. Although we had proved their pagan origin, we never got to the core issue.
To understand this paradox better, think of the saying "If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, then the final call is that it is a duck, in its entirety". Let us apply that logic to the observation of any group that keeps these celebrations, "If it has symbols of paganism, doctrines of paganism, observes the times and seasons of paganism, and beliefs of paganism, then the final call is that it is paganism, in its entirety".
In the former organization I was a member of, we just never made the association back then. But now the CREATOR is requiring the final call that, 'Christianity' in its entirety is paganism, pure and simple! In a store, a person can purchase Bud or Bud Lite, one has fewer calories than the other does, but they are both still beer. Looking back on it, I guess that because we did not keep the pagan traditions, yet worshiped the man from Galilee, we were practicing paganism lite. However, that is still paganism but still not the core issue.
The core issue is that the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel in the end time are to be caught up in throes of the ancient pagan Babylon Mystery religion (paganism). The only way that our people Israel will ever understand this, is if they are told and warned of the consequences of non-repentance. That job is for us who understand that WE ARE the Watchmen. We as the Watchmen must stand together, take hold of our part, share our burden, and proclaim the only true CREATOR of Israel to our people. Unless we do our duty, the CREATOR says He will strike the earth with utter destruction (Malachi 4:6).
We Have Two Choices.
At this time in history, the ETERNAL CREATOR is not forcing mankind to obey Him. He has promised abundant blessings if we obey. In addition, He has given us a very serious warning if we refuse to obey. However, it is still Israel's choice, as individuals or as nations, whether we will obey Him, the only true CREATOR, or not. He wants to bless us, His creation, but we must first obey His ways. The ETERNAL gives us two choices and His desire is for us to choose life:
(Deuteronomy 30:19-20) (KJV) 19I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20That thou mayest love 'the LORD thy God', and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which 'the LORD' sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
In other words: (TLB) (the ETERNAL speaking) "I call heaven and earth to witness against you that today I have set before you life or death, blessing or curse. Oh, that you would choose life; that you and your children might live! Choose to love the ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN, to obey Him[24] and to cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days. You will then be able to live safely in the land the ETERNAL promised your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob".
As humans, we do not like to be told what to do. As individuals, or as a nation of the Commonwealth of Israel, we can be just like Adam & Eve and Frank Sinatra. What did Adam & Eve and Frank Sinatra have in common? They could boast that, "I did it my way". However, the ETERNAL CREATOR is not playing games. He expects us to OBEY Only Him, period, no ifs, ands, or buts about it:
(Leviticus 18:1-5) (KJV) 1And 'the LORD' spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am 'the LORD your God'. 3After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. 4Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am 'the LORD your God'. 5Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am 'the LORD'.
In other words: (TLB) Then the ETERNAL spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'I am the ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN. According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. 'You SHALL observe My Judgments and keep My Ordinances, to walk in them: I am the ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the ETERNAL'."
(Deuteronomy 4:1-9) (KJV) 1Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which 'the LORD God' of your fathers giveth you. 2Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of 'the LORD your God' which I command you. 3Your eyes have seen what 'the LORD' did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, 'the LORD thy God' hath destroyed them from among you. 4But ye that did cleave unto 'the LORD your God' are alive every one of you this day. 5Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as 'the LORD my God' commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. 6Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. 7For what nation is there so great, who hath 'God' so nigh unto them, as 'the LORD our God' is in all things that we call upon him for? 8And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? 9Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
In other words: (TLB) Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the ETERNAL SOVEREIGN of your fathers is giving you. You shall not add to the word, which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the Commandments of the ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN, which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the ETERNAL did at "Baal Peor"; the ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN has destroyed from among you all the men who followed "Baal" of Peor. But you who held fast'[25] to the ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN are alive today, every one of you. Surely, I have taught you Statutes and Judgments, just as the ETERNAL my SOVEREIGN Commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land, which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what great nation is there that has the ETERNAL CREATOR so near to it[26], as the ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him'? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren.
As you can see, the ETERNAL wants all of us to make the right choice and obey Him completely in all that He has commanded us. He wants us to return to the worship of the monotheistic (one Being-one body) the ETERNAL CREATOR of the universe, The Mighty ONE[27] of Israel, our Only SOVEREIGN, and our Only Savior.[28]
He demands that we turn from the polytheistic (one being, two, three, or four bodies depending on the beliefs of the church of your choice) worship of the 'godhead' of the church in Rome and all of her proselytising daughters.
We must worship our Savior who is the ETERNAL alone and we must not worship any other 'god'. In addition, WE MUST NOT worship the Messiah (Mashiach), as he is to be our king and not our Savior. Even the Mashiach worships the Savior,[29] our CREATOR, the Mighty ONE of Israel.
The religion of the church of Rome has turned our people away from a monotheistic religion of the ETERNAL to their polytheistic 'multi-godhead' religions. See what is prophesied to happen to our people because of that:
(Deuteronomy 28:58-59) (KJV) 58If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, 'THE LORD THY GOD'; 59Then 'the LORD' will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
In other words: (TLB) "If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN, then the ETERNAL will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues; great and prolonged plagues; and serious and prolonged sicknesses.
In this end time, we need to keep the CREATOR's laws and obey them, as we focus on sending out the warning message we are commanded to send to all thirteen tribes of Israel.
Storm Clouds Gathering.
As we look around and see the world not worshipping the true Mighty ONE we know that He states that He will send plagues upon our nation. We can see the clouds of war swirling around us and on the horizon with even darker clouds, coming upon our people. The CREATOR states plainly that there is work to be done, to warn Israel of the impending danger and give them the promise of a better life tomorrow.
The warning is directed to ALL 13 tribes of Israel. But Israel does not know their identity or who the one true ETERNAL CREATOR is. Yet, there are those who do know and understand and that fact puts us in the role of the Watchman. Each person has the responsibility of doing their part in warning the nations. Any work to be done requires the support of those who understand this work:
(Ezekiel 3:17-21) (KJV) 17Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 18When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 19Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 20Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 21Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
In other words: (TLB) Son of dust, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel; whenever I send My people a warning, pass it on to them at once. If you refuse to warn the wicked when I want you to tell them, you are under the penalty of death; therefore repent and save your life, they will die in their sins, but I will punish you. I will demand your blood for theirs. But, if you warn them, and they keep on sinning and refuse to repent, they will die in their sins, but you are blameless, you have done all you could. And if a good man becomes bad, and you refuse to warn him of the consequences, and the ETERNAL destroys him, his previous good deeds won't help him, he shall die in his sin. But, I will hold you responsible for his death and punish you. But if you warn him, and he repents, he shall live, and you have saved your own life too. Also see: (Ezekiel 33:2-20).
As you can see, the the ETERNAL wants all of us to make the right choice and obey Him completely in all that He has commanded us. In this end time, we need to keep the CREATOR's laws, to obey them, as we focus on sending out the warning message we are commanded to send to Israel. It's your obligation to warn Israel, primarily the "Christian" nations of the western world of their utter destruction if they do not repent and return to their CREATOR. WE ARE the Watchmen. As Watchmen, we must all stand together, do our part, share our burden, and proclaim the only true ETERNAL CREATOR of Israel to our people and work toward the prophesied reuniting of all thirteen tribes into the Promised Land as foretold by the Prophets.
We can all look forward to the Reign of the Davidic Kingdom of peace and prosperity that will finally come to power, when knowledge of the ETERNAL will cover the earth like water. See: (Isaiah 11) and others.
Footnotes:
[1] Strong's Exhaustive Concordance #H369 'ayin (ah'-yin).
[2] Ibid. #H5750 'owd (ode).
[3] Ibid. #H905 bad (bad).
[4] I do not use the words "the Lord" or "God" and if I use them they are in quotes " " or ' ' to indicate that these are not my words but belong to someone else. I prefer to use the words the ETERNAL and the words CREATOR, SOVEREIGN, The Mighty One, Almighty, or The Righteous One of Israel respectively.
[5] See the essay: "Eden In the Beginning".
[6] [a]All scriptural links point to the Bible Gateway, A Searchable Online Bible In Over 100 Versions And 50 Languages, located at "BibleGateway.Com", a vast biblical resource containing all the major texts and reference materials useful for in-depth bible studies. Most scriptual quotations are from the (KJV) of the Bible, however versions noted in (parentheses) should also be consulted. [b]All Strong's scriptural references point to the Blue Letter Bible Lexicon, located at "BlueLetterBible.Org", another vast biblical resource which has over 4,000,000 links available, pointing to more than 165,000 pages of concordances, lexicons, dictionaries, commentaries, images, and several Bible versions.
[7] Since the Command was given to Adam alone, Adam may not have communicated it correctly to Eve, or he may have been trying to build a protective fence around his wife, or she may have decided to handle it her way.
[8] Outdated Reference.
[9] This is a thumbnail sketch of the book 'The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors', Or 'Christianity Before Christ' by Kersey Graves. Read it HERE.
[10] Unmerited roughly translates into, "no real repentance is required, all you need to do is believe and accept the dead Galilean into your heart as your personal savior".
[11] This states that the [New Testament]™ writers made up (or brought from the Mystery Religions) the NT concept of 'grace'.
[12] Do you understand the significance of that statement "Paul alone decided as to what 'grace' would comprise"?
[13] Notice that the NT theory of 'grace' is totally NT and has NO bearing on the ETERNAL CREATOR.
[14] Refer to the articles "Is Blood Required for Salvation", "Salvation in the Old Testament", and "Grace in OT".
[15] The answer to this question also applies to their support of the German government in W.W.II.
[16] Any words in brackets [] and all emphases were added by the author.
[17] The purpose of this section is to show why any government would be partial to 'Christianity' and would tend to encourage it as compared to any other religion. The author is not being critical of any government nor is he advocating any type of civil, violent, or nonviolent disobedience for any cause or purpose whether the cause or purpose is religious, political, or some other cause.
[18] Really? The ETERNAL placed all the communists governments and cruel dictators in their positions as well as all the various police units worldwide?
[19] Since when is any human government doing the work of the ETERNAL? Was it Richard Nixon's government as he proclaimed he was not a crook? Perhaps it was Bill Clinton's for he tried to obey one Biblical command, "be fruitful and multiply".
[20] Caesar and the liberal element in government today always know what is best for the uninformed masses.
[21] (James 2:8) If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself", you do well.
[22] Holomon's Electronic Dictionary in the article on "Government".
[23] 'Christianity' is polytheistic and depending on which group you are conversing with they will declare their 'god' to be dualistic or trinitarian, (the Pope has now elevated Mary to the "godhead" so it is now a quartet). This is compared to the worship of the only true CREATOR, the ETERNAL that proclaims that He is one and there is no other.
[24] Notice this a viable choice that we make. We choose of our own free will and volition to love and obey our CREATOR or we choose not to. Notice there is no restriction to obedience, with external help needed, such as having hands laid to receive the Holy Spirit. 'Christianity' claims the holy spirit is necessary in order to be able to keep the laws of a 'cruel old harsh 'god''. This is not true because it is simply a human choice to sin or not to sin. Sometimes we slip and fall into sin but our loving CREATOR, who declares that He alone is our Savior, is ready and eager to forgive our sin upon full repentance.
[25] To hold fast to the ETERNAL CREATOR is a conscious decision that we make. We choose to obey, or we choose not to obey and hold fast.
[26] This is the key for why Israel was used by the Creator. The ETERNAL chose Israel to do a special job and not as a favorite nation. The ETERNAL works with the other nations through Israel. This is not to say that He is not now working with individuals who are non-Israelite (Isaiah 56:1-13). If any individual, Israelite or non-Israelite, understands the CREATOR's message, and lovingly obeys His Commandments and statutes, then that individual IS BEING CALLED by The CREATOR, to do His work. The calling is to be a part of the work to warn Israel (and the rest of the world) to repent and return to the only true CREATOR. For example Ruth was a non-Israelite who wanted to serve the only true CREATOR, and she wound up in the kingly line of King David.
[27] There is only Supreme Being or Mighty One (Deuteronomy 4:35; Deuteronomy 6:4-6; 2 Samuel 7:22; Psalms 73:25; Psalms 78:41; Isaiah 29:23; Isaiah 47:9; Isaiah 54:5; Habakkuk 1:12; Exodus 20:1-6) - see it for yourself.
[28] The Mighty One is our only Savior and Redeemer (Isaiah 41:13-14; Isaiah 43:1-3, Isaiah 43:11-12, Isaiah 43:25-26; Isaiah 45:21; Isaiah 54:5; Isaiah 60:16; Isaiah 63:8; Hosea 13:4) - see it for yourself.
[29] See the essay: "What Are The Functions Of A Savior, Messiah, Priest, And Prophet"?