Hidden life with Christ!

Many people live in a strong delusion secretly following Christ yet deny him publicly. These people claim to be wholly resting upon Jesus Christ for salvation, while at the same time trying to please the world. This is so typical of deception and lies. Most people who profess to know God do not know God at all. They are double-minded who believe in Christ with lukewormness in their heart and constantly living in a state of compromise. Double minded person is one who say one thing and do another, they claim to know God and yet their actions do not live up to such claims. God's Word says that a double-minded man is "unstable in all he does." (James 1:8). The true Spiritled Christian is not going into compromise their fire and love for God. Matthew 6:24 says No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Exodus 34:14 says Our God is a jealous God and will not accept a service that is divided with Satan. Because those who serve two masters are unsteady, hypocritical ,double minded , wavering in both character and feelings and is always conflict to himself. They are not true believers in Christ and they have very nature of carnal mind and have cowardnesss which is enmity against God .They can not express the word of God truthfully without fear. Their lifestyles separate because of backsliding. Proverbs 14:14 says, "The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways. Jesus also expects us to preach the Gospel, which offends most false professed believers. To deny Jesus Christ is to deny God's Holy Spirit. 1st John 1:22,23 plainly state "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father ..but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also." 2 Timothy 3:5 says they have a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof from such turn away. Conclusion: Anyone who is in Christ, they live for him alone and are obedience to Him. If we worship God in spirit and in truth, we cannot worship anyone or anything else (Matthew 4:10).

Lord hears the prayer of the righteous!

The righteous man is the one who listen to God, who fear God and who do not practices his own righteousness but he lives according to the Scriptures and Gods ways .He makes a great relationship with God as his top priority. Gods word says that eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:12; Psalm 34:15), and, again, “the prayer of the upright pleases Him” (Proverbs 15:8).


When a righteous man prays, there is a humble request, he recognizes God's sovereign power. In Exodus 14:15-16, Moses prayed and the Red sea parted. In1 Kings 18:36-38, Elijah prayed and fire came down from heaven. In Acts 4:12-16, the disciples prayed and people were healed. The people prayed and the disciples were released from prison (Acts 12:1-17) and brought back from the dead (Acts 14:19-20). Prayer saved the righteous Daniel from the lion’s den in Daniel 6:11, and in the wilderness, God’s chosen people benefitted enormously from Moses’ right standing with God in Exodus 16–17. The barren Hannah’s steadfast and humble prayers resulted in the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 1:20, and the apostle Paul’s prayers even caused the earth to shake in Acts 16:25-26.

God does not answer wayward self-centered Prayers: “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:2, 3)

We need to remain steadfast in prayers at all times. Prayer is the communication with God which involves listening and talking to the Lord. Prayer makes us closer to God. When we pray according to the Word of God, our prayers are effective which carry authority and power. James 5:15-18 says and the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Laying hands on people is found all through the Bible .When you pray for others it’s better to lay hands on them, bless them and pray for them .There is an intimacy and bond that comes from laying hands on others and praying for them that goes beyond just simply praying for a person.

Scriptures say “laying on of hands” is a powerful gesture of blessing that may be appropriate in a variety of circumstances .It can be performed on the sick to restore health.Any special anointing-Spirit-filled believers can lay hands on the sick in faith and will be healed or receive the Holy Spirit. And we read in scriptures that Jesus continued this Rite by reaching out his hand, gently touching those in need as he healed them. Jesus blessed the children by the laying on of hands (Matthew 19:15, Mat.9:18; Mar.16:15-18; Act.14:3).

Some times laying on hands will not have any power because its merely performed as a symbolic act and the person who lays hands is not right with God and doesn’t have enough faith to perform miracles and healings.

May the Lord teach us to pray effectively, according to his will and help us to walk in his righteousness!

Resume of a Christian Believer.

Resume of a Christian Believer.

Contact Address: Philippians 3:20, Kingdom of God Road, Heaven. Gods Phone number: Jeremiah 33:3

OBJECTIVE:

To grow in Godliness and to encourage others towards Godliness, to serve GOD with all our heart and with all our soul by Praying at all times and thanking God for his mercy forever and to preach the gospel to every creature.

EDUCATION:

• School: For the LORD gives wisdom, from His mouth come knowledge and understanding and All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

• Major: One Lord, one faith, one Holy Spirit, one baptism so that we are made perfect in Christ Jesus.

• QUALIFICATIONS: Living holy, soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts.

• SKILLS: Gods word of wisdom and knowledge, gifts of healing, prophecy; discerning of spirits; diverse kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues and to bear the fruit for the kingdom of God.

EMPLOYMENT:

● To equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

●Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, Enduring Suffering for Christ and to be Joint-Heirs with Christ.

●Inheritance with Saints in Light and to Sit in Judgment with Christ.

●Hoping for the crown of righteousness, Crown of Glory and Crown of Life and to be heirs of God’s glory by converting the soul.

●To shun all forms of debauchery and sinful life styles through Gods gift of repentance by committing ourselves to Him through water baptism by Resisting the devil and temptations.

●To be Humble & Having a Child-Like Faith by Seeking First God's Kingdom, Not Worldly Wealth & Possessions.

●To speak out and warn people of Gods coming Judgments and Teaching God's Word & His Ways to Sinners & Believers by Making Disciples and doing everything for the Glory of God.

●To be Doers of the Word, not Merely Hearers and to teach the commandments and doctrines of God and faithfully obeying them. By admonishing each other, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs

HOBBIES/INTERESTS:

Whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.

To live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives and to become more like Christ by continually reading, hearing, memorizing studying, meditating scripture and applying the Gods word in every area of our life.

To Be Christ’s ambassadors by following the example of Christ and to be blameless and harmless in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation by following the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes.

REFERENCE(S):

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Saints & Angels

Have an Attitude of Gratitude!

Most people take their blessings for granted in life. The true gratitude comes with humility, love, appreciation and the grace in them is reflected for willingness to express gratitude. It is an expression of thankfulness to anyone doing a favor or kindness or blessing. We need to show gratitude to God regardless of circumstances because He deserves it (Psalm 107:1) and of course we indeed be gratitude to all the people as well.


1. Show Gratitude to God:

1 Timothy 2:1: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.

Psalm 118:1: Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever

Colossians 3:17 :“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18: in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

2. Wicked people have ingratitude:

The unbelievers and the hypocrites are unthankful, unloving ,unkind, ungrateful to God and people because of their bad attitudes such as selfish pride, arrogance, proudness, rebellioness ,boastfulness .Gods word says that people will be unthankful in the last days(2 Timothy 3:1-2).

Psalm 109:5: They repay evil for good, and hatred for my love.

Job 19:14: My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me.



Please Read my another article on similar subject “Get Rid of Bad Attitudes”.

Are you a Godly example to others?

The Bible tells us that we are to be a good example, showing others the love of Christ through our behavior and life styles. We should do all we can to bring others into God's Kingdom and never do anything that would cause a person to stumble in his Christian walk. You need to choose this day whom you will serve. You can serve God and ask Him to clean up your life, or you can continue serving your own fleshly desires which leads to indirectly serving devil.


1 Tim 4:12 "Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an EXAMPLE TO ALL THE BELIEVERS in what you SAY, in THE WAY YOU LIVE, in YOUR LOVE, YOUR FAITH, and in YOUR PURITY."

Titus 2:7 "You yourself MUST BE AN EXAMPLE TO THEM by doing GOOD WORKS OF EVERY KIND. Let EVERYTHING YOU DO reflect the INTEGRITY and SERIOUSNESS of your TEACHING."

John 13:15 Jesus says, "I have given you an EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW. Do as I have Done to you"

1 Thess 1:7 Paul says, "You have become an EXAMPLE TO ALL THE BELIEVERS in Greece— throughout both Macedonia and Achaia."

Phil 3:17 Paul says, "Dear Brothers and Sisters, PATTERN YOUR LIVES AFTER MINE, and LEARN from those who FOLLOW OUR EXAMPLE."

2 Thess 3:9 Paul says, "We certainly had the right to ask you to Feed us, but we wanted to give you an EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW."

Eph 5:2 "Live a life filled with love, FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God."

1 Tim 1:16 Paul says, "But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a PRIME EXAMPLE OF HIS GREAT PATIENCE with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive Eternal Life."

They are Errors; faults which are unscriptural in almost every Church Denominations but Please don’t just attack or Pick on Catholic Church in everything!

I am not against any Protestant denominations nor catholic Church ; there are good people as well as bad people in every denomination. Paul is stating the main purpose of the ministry--whether apostles, prophets, evangelists or pastor-teachers--is for the express and central purpose of the edification of the body of Christ. Bringing unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God is also a purpose of the ministry, to bring unity to the body. Although differences of beliefs, doctrine, interpretation, and opinion may be held and expressed among believers, they should be expressed in love and fellowship with those who may differ.

1 Cor 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?

This is the very important thing we all have to do "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."Matthew 22:36-40

1.Apostolic succession- the Baptist or Non denominational churches have no succession.
2. Most Baptist Denominations believe once one is saved
3. Baptists to partake in Lord’s Supper, and ob¬servance of the supper “when they desire.
4. The Baptist church was named after John the Baptist. John the Baptist was never a member of the church of the New Testament. The church was established after his death (Mat. 14:1; 16:16-18; Acts 2:1). We should call ourselves after Christ (Romans 16:16)

5. They say Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, They do not Baptize Infants they exclude them, they see the age of accountability for baptism, they do not confess sins with each other.

6. Baptists believe that prayer should only be made to God in the name of Christ but disregard that prayers can be made for saints as well.

7.Baptists believe that Bible is only the authority.

8. Baptists believe that priests are unscriptural.

9. They believe in all past, present, and future sins are forgiven .

10. They believe that they are born again and only they are saved

11. They believe that all have sinned.

12. The Baptist believes that they are automatically saved

13. Baptists do not have any Biblical traditions

14. Some Baptists do not believe True Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Communion

15. Baptist do put a plain cross devoid of Christ, Catholic Church venerates Christ on the Cross as a sacrifice

16. Baptist believe that faith of parents will not save

17. They believe in KJV is true rest all false

18. They accuse that Catholics do not know Bible.

19. They do not believe in prayer to saints

20. Most of the Baptist churches interpret the scriptures according to their opinion

21. They do not have any icons or statutes because they think its idolatry

22. They deny purgatory

23. They believe that Mary was a sinful woman

24. They believe Praying rosary is non biblical

25. They accuse Catholic Church has church scandals and they forget their scandals within their church

26. They believe in 2 sacraments and discard 5 sacraments

27. They believe good works is not necessary.

28. They accuse that Catholics priests don’t marry

29.they believe in birth control, women as pastors.

30.They churches are not Governed scripturally. The Bible gives no authority to deacons. Nowhere does the Bible speak of “deacons who rule well,” because deacons are not rulers. Their qualifications are not ruling qualifications, but are the qualifications of servants to the pastors and congregations. Whereas pastors (also called elders and bishops) must be apt to teach and able to defend the flock from false teachers (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:4-13), deacons have no such requirement (1 Timothy 3:8-13). The common polity used among their congregations ignores these biblical truths, and allows men who are not qualified to be pastors to have authority equal to that of a pastor.

31 .Worldliness is rampant in their churches and schools.

Though there are godly people among them, the homes of the average church members are too often filled with rock music (secular and “Christian”), immodest dress, R-rated videos, and many other marks of a gross love of the world. Many of their schools are known as wild party schools, and the student fornicators and drunkards are not disciplined. Worldly dances are held on the campuses of many of their connected schools. Hundreds of their congregations host “Christian” rock concerts. More than 35 years ago, Evangelist John R. Rice warned, “The lewdness of the modern dance is now excused and the worldly viewpoint accepted in most of their colleges” (“Dancing in Southern Baptist Colleges,” Sword of the Lord, Sept. 5, 1969).



32 .They have charismatic’s beliefs like holy laugh, yelling, speaking in unknown tongues etc which is unscriptural

33. The vast majority of their churches refuse to exercise church discipline and it is impossible to have a biblically pure church without discipline.

34. Some of their evangelical rejects biblical separation.

35. All claiming to preach the Bible, yet wearing different names and teaching different doctrines.

36. Does God call all protestant preachers, then cause them to preach conflicting doctrines? Does God call Baptist preachers to preach, and then cause them to preach that immersion is the only kind of baptism, that only ordained Baptist preachers have the authority to baptize, the impossibility of apostasy, the miraculous operation of the Holy Spirit, and numerous other things? Then does God call a Methodist preacher to preach that sprinkling is baptism, and that you can fall from grace? Does God call both of them to preach these contradictory doctrines? John 17:20-23 and I Cor. 1:10-13 teach that he does not.

37. Their Churches stands for immersion only, impossibility of apostasy and close communion

38. Is Christ divided?" The apostle Paul asked the question in condemning division.

39. The Baptist Church or any protestant church is not the church you read about in the Bible. Baptist preachers, and all other preachers, take the Bible and read the word "church," but they do not comment on it. They leave the impression that it refers to "their" church. The Baptist preacher will read a passage with the word "church" in it, and apply it to the Baptist Church. The Methodist preacher will read the same passage and apply it to the Methodist Church. The Presbyterian preacher will read the same passage and apply it to the Presbyterian Church. It cannot refer to all of them. If these passages refer to the Baptist Church, it cannot refer to the Methodist, because they are two different institutions. To which one does it refer then? I am affirming that out of the 112 times that the word "church" is used in the New Testament, not one time does it refer to the Baptist Church, or to any other denomination. It talks about "the church," "the church of God," "the church of the first-born," "the churches of Christ," etc., but most of the time it just says "the church. “Which church? Which one is it? When the Bible uses the word "church" it just refers to one. Now which one is it? Calvary Chapel is a non-denominational church movement focused on the inerrancy of the Bible and the expository teaching from Genesis to Revelation.” From a statement of faith found on many of their sites, “nor are we opposed to denominations as such, only their over emphasis of the doctrinal differences that have led to the division of the Body of Christ

40. If the word "church" never refers to the Baptist Church, then the Baptist Church is eliminated from the Bible. You know, of course, that the expressions "Baptist Church," "Baptist Churches," "Baptists," or "a Baptist" are not to be found in the Bible. We have now shown that the word "church" never refers to the Baptist Church In as much as the Baptists admit that you can be a member of the New Testament Church, the kingdom of God, before and without being a member of the Baptist Church, then it follows that the Baptist Church and the New Testament church are two different institutions, entered at two different times, by two different processes. That is exactly it. This is according to the Baptists, themselves. Therefore the Baptist Church cannot be the New Testament Church.



41. The New Testament Church was a visible church. The Jerusalem church was a visible church. It met for worship every Lord's day, yet was no denomination. The church at Corinth met upon the first day of the week, sang, prayed, had preaching, took the Lord's Supper, and contributed of their means, yet it was no denomination. Paul called it, "the church of God" and "the body of Christ." (1 Cor. 1:2; I Cor. 12:27).

We are pleading with people to be a member only of the Lord's church, the New Testament church, the kingdom of God, and NOT to be members of any denomination. Be a Christian and a Christian only.

42. We just noticed how the Baptists/protestants/Non denominational churches make Christians (?), members of the kingdom of God, then teach and encourage them to separate themselves from others in the kingdom of God by joining the Baptist Church, thus limiting and circumscribing themselves from all others whom they claim are members of the kingdom of God, too. Who is it that is narrow?!

43. Well Baptist Church or Non Denominational church or Pentecostals or any other protestant churches ', is not found in the Bible.

John the Baptist, it is reasoned, baptized Christ and others, and since he was sent from God, that made Christ and all others Baptists. Well, that made Baptists before they ever had a Baptist Church. Did you ever hear of a Baptist that was not a member of the Baptist Church? Yet, they admit themselves that the Baptist Church was not established until the ordaining of the twelve. John was not called Baptist in the same sense that people are called Baptist today. The expression "Baptist" is found only 15 times in the Bible. Every time it is "John the Baptist." Mark 6:14 says, "John the Baptizer." The Greek is "John, he who baptizes " or "the man who baptizes." There is the passage that tells why John was called "the Baptist"--because he baptized people. This distinguished him from all other Johns. Do you know that in the book of John you cannot find the word "Baptist"? The Apostle John never called John the Baptist, "the Baptist." It is only found 15 times in the Bible, and every time "John THE Baptist." The followers of Jesus Christ were never called Baptists. The followers of John were never called Baptists. Is it not peculiar that if John's baptizing folks made Baptists out of them that not one was ever referred to as a Baptist then, or thereafter? Not one time is anyone ever called Baptist in the Bible except John.Human names are condemned. (1 Cor. 1:12). "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" Again in Acts 4:12:"Neither is there salvation in any other: For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Look at it, "There is none other name." Is it all right to use other names? Listen again, "There is none other name." Among human names (those not found in the Bible) I can think of none greater than that of Paul. Yet, if I were to present a check for my soul's salvation in the name of Paul at the judgment bar of God, he would have to say, "Not in the name of Paul, not in the name of Apollos, not in the name of Cephas, nor in the name of John the Baptist, for salvation is in none other name than Jesus Christ." This is the only "name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." This name exalts Christ. This is the name that we in the church of Christ are pleading for. Other names, or additional names are sinful. Wear the name of Christ and none other. (Phil. 2:9-11).

44. They are wrong in their plan of salvation. They teach that a person is saved by prayer. I could tell several incidents in which people were saved by prayer according to the Baptists/Pentecostals/Non denominational.

An alien sinner is not saved by prayer. John 9:31 says, "Now we know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshipper of God and doeth his will, him he heareth." It is God's will that we "obey the gospel" (II Thess. 1:8) . The gospel commands us to be baptized into Christ "for the remission of sins." (Gal. 3:27; Acts 2:38). We have not done God's will until we have been baptized into Christ. Hear Isaiah, "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear." (Isa. 59:2). We are to pray for the lost, that's true (Rom. 10:1), but the gospel, not prayer, "is the power of God unto salvation." (Rom. 1:16).

Paul says in II Cor. 5:11, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." Some people try to persuade God to save the sinner, but Paul persuaded the sinner to obey God. God is willing to save all who will obey. (II Peter 3:9; Titus 2:11; I Tim. 2:4; Heb. 5:9). "God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have OBEYED from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you, being THEN made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." (Romans 6:17-18).

45. Baptists and most of their denominations teach that sinners are saved by faith only. They say, "All you have to do is believe, and He will save you." Article 5 of their Declaration of Faith, page 48, says that justification is "solely through faith." James says just the opposite, "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:24). Their doctrine of faith only breaks down on the chief rulers of John 12:42-43. "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." Were the chief rulers saved? If you say "yes," then you disagree with the Apostle John for he says, "every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God." (1 John 4:3). If you say they did not believe, then you disagree with the Apostle John again, for he says they "believed on Him." Sometimes Baptists try to dodge the force of this argument by saying they believed on, not in Him. The Greek is "eis," the strongest expression in this respect in the Greek language.

46 .They do not administer Bible baptism. John's baptism is out of date. In Acts 19:1-5 we find where Paul rebaptized twelve men who had received John's baptism. Aquila and Priscilla took a preacher who knew "only the baptism of John" and "expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly." (Acts 18:24-26).Baptists baptize people whom they claim already have received the remission of sins. "There is an actual, a real remission of sins when we believe in Christ--there is a declarative, formal, symbolic remission in baptism." (Baptist Church Manual, p. 13).The Bible plainly states that baptism is FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS, (Acts 2:38), or to wash away sins (Acts 22:16).Baptists do not baptize a person into Christ, but rather, into the Baptist Church. They say any such person is in Christ before baptism. Hear Paul, "For as many of you as have been BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST have put on Christ." (Gal. 3:27) .Baptist baptism must be on a confession that one is already saved. Bible baptism puts a person into Christ where salvation is. (1 Cor. 12:13; Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:3; II Cor. 5:17; Rom. 6:4; II Tim. 2:10).

Inasmuch as Christian baptism is "for the remission of sins," or to "wash away sins," and to get "into Christ," or "put on Christ," and Baptists do not administer Christian baptism, as has just been pointed out, then it follows that those who obeyed the Baptist plan of Salvation have missed the Lord's plan of Salvation, and they are therefore not members of the New Testament Church, the Body of Christ, have not had their sins remitted, and are not saved.

47. They claim only they are saved. Many will say, "Oh but I know I'm saved." "Well, how do you know it?" "Oh, I just know it. I feel like I am." "What makes you feel like you are saved?" "Because I'm saved," they will say. Saved because they feel good, and feel good because they are saved. Such people prefer their feelings to anything the Bible says. I am not opposed to a person's feeling good about being a Christian, but I am opposed to a person claiming to be a Christian just because he feels good. Feelings are based on faith. If one will study the scriptures with an open mind rather than through feelings, you will then begin to feel different. You will feel that you should turn from the human organization, the Baptist Church and their all denominations and obey the gospel of Christ because the Bible teaches you to do that. Don't follow your feelings. FOLLOW THE BIBLE. FOLLOW CHRIST.

48. Their churches is unscriptural in organization they have rebelled against the one and only true church. The Baptist Church and their several protestant denominations has a minister whom they call "Pastor," and deacons, but no elders. The truth of the matter is this. pastors, bishops, presbyters, and elders are all the same and take the oversight of the flock. The deacons are servants of the church. The preacher is a minister or evangelist, not "the pastor" of a congregation.

Baptist preachers call themselves and have themselves called, "Reverend." (There are a few exceptions to this, but very few). This word is used one time in the entire Bible and then in connection with the name of God. (Psalm 111:9). When you see the man you believe on a par with God, call him "reverend.'` This also violates the principle laid down by our Savior in Matthew 23:5-12.

49. Protestant denomination’s have unscriptural in doctrine and they accuse of various doctrines in Catholic Church yet they are blind to see their own.They are wrong first in having a man-made doctrine at an. "This Declaration of Faith was framed many years ago by J. Newton Brown, D. D." (Baptist Church Manual, foot note, p. 43). Christ says in Matt. 15:9, "But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

The Baptist doctrine contradicts the Bible in reason. Ask a Baptist preacher, "What is the Baptist Doctrine?" It is "what a church believes the Bible to teach." (Baptist Church Manual, p. 41). I have pointed out that it is the distinctive features of the Baptist Church that make it Baptist instead of some other kind of Church Now ask, "Must I believe the Bible to be saved?" Answer, "Yes." "Must I believe Baptist Doctrine to be saved?" Answer, "No." Then, if I must believe the Bible to be saved, and must not believe Baptist Doctrine to be saved, then it follows that Baptist Doctrine is not Bible Doctrine. Jesus told the apostles to go preach the gospel and said, "He that believeth not shall be damned." When any preacher preaches things that you do not have to believe to be saved, you may rest assured that he is not preaching "the gospel," because you do have to believe "the gospel" to be saved. If a person can be saved without belonging to the Baptist Church and without believing Baptist Doctrine (that which is peculiar to Baptists), then why does the Baptist Church exist, and by whose authority? Baptists say they exist to save people, but how can this be, when a person can be saved and never hear of the Baptist Church? Friends, think about that seriously.

Baptist Doctrine contradicts the Bible in fact. "We believe that the salvation of sinners is WHOLLY of grace." (Baptist Church Manual, Article IV of the Declaration of Faith, p. 47). We are saved by HOPE, (Rom. 8:24), and Peter said BAPTISM saves us, (1 Peter 3:21). If this is true, then we are not saved WHOLLY or ENTIRELY by grace, but by hope and baptism also. Then this article of faith is false.In Article V on page 48, the Declaration of Faith declares that "justification, the pardon of sin, and the promise of eternal life . . . are SOLELY THROUGH FAITH." In the first place, this article of faith contradicts Article IV. How can salvation be WHOLLY of grace and at the same time SOLELY through faith? We have pointed out that we are saved by grace, faith, hope, the gospel, the word, repentance, confession, baptism, etc., but the expression "solely through faith" excludes everything except faith. The Bible certainly does not teach this. James 2:24 again, "not by faith only," therefore, this article contradicts Article IV and also the Word of God.

50.Their doctrine of apostasy is false. "We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end." (Article XI, p. 54). This is the doctrine of "once saved, always saved" and if a person "falls from grace," then they claim that he was not saved to start with. Consider II Peter 2:4, "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." Are these "real believers" more steadfast than angels?

Is it possible that Paul could be a cast-away? Paul thinks so, hear him, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." (1 Cor. 9:27). Was Paul a "real believer?" Paul said, "Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.

Again, "Whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace." (Gal. 5:4). We are saved by grace. (Eph. 2:8) . Therefore, people can fall from that which saved them. Many Baptists do not believe this doctrine, but as long as they are Baptists they stand for it just the same.

51. They support democracy not a kingdom. The essentials of a kingdom are: a king, law, and subjects over which he rules. The king makes the laws, enforces the laws, and passes judgment on violators of the law. Officers are filled by appointment of the Thing. Since Christ has all authority in heaven and in earth and has been crowned "King of kings," He makes the laws; He will judge all violators of His laws in the Day of Judgment. A democracy is that form of government that the subjects by vote make the laws and elect their officers. I tell you to compare the Baptist Church with these two forms of government."The government of a church (the Baptist Church) is with its members. The churches must say . . . whether music shall be led by choirs, with the aid of instruments or not, etc., etc." (Baptist Church Manual, p. 39). This very plainly shows that the Baptist Church is democratic in its nature, but Christ established a kingdom.

In John 4:24 we learn that we must worship God "in spirit and in truth." In John 17:17 Jesus said, "thy word is truth." In Rom. 10:17 we read that "faith comes by hearing the word of God." Our worship, then, to be "in truth" must be as the truth directs. In Leviticus 10:1-2 we have an example of two boys, Nadab and Abihu, worshiping God, but because they did so in a "strange" way "which he commanded them not," the Lord took their lives. Again in I Chron. 15:13-15, David says, in reference to the method of bearing the ark of the covenant, ". . . God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order." Jer. 10:23 tells us "that it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps," and in Isa. 55:8-9, the Lord says, "my ways are not your ways, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways." God will not tolerate PRESUMPTION. We, simply mortal men, cannot worship God any way WE see fit, but must "seek Him after the due order." Remember, Jesus said. "In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments (that is, following the precepts) of men." (Matt. 15:9) . Which are you following, God or men?Baptists take Christ's place in adding to the church. The scriptures say "the LORD added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47). But Baptists VOTE to receive people into the church. There is not one place in the Bible that teaches us to vote to receive people into the church, nor to put them out, either.

Baptists talk about "Opening the doors of the church." No man, whether he be the Pope of Rome, or a Baptist preacher, can "open the doors" of the Lord's Church. Those doors were opened by the Apostle Peter in the long ago, and they stand ajar to this good time, and shall ever be open until the trumpet shall sound and the Lord shall announce that time is no more. This is just more evidence that the Baptist Church is a human, man-made church. For if the, can "open and close the doors" then it is of men and not of God. They cannot open, nor close the doors of the New Testament Church.

Baptists take the authority to change the great commission. Christ said in Mark 16:15, 16, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Baptists teach, "he that believeth and is NOT baptized is saved already because of his faith." Thus, they promise the sinner salvation SHORT of the conditions upon which God promises it. Therefore, Baptists are standing on the promises and assurance of Baptist preachers and NOT ON THE PROMISES OF GOD. Which do you prefer to believe, Baptists, or Christ?Indeed, this is the real issue--who is king? Who is head? Who has all authority? In whom do you believe? Let me illustrate. Many times the church of Christ is accused of "believing in water." No, we do not believe in baptism as such, but in Jesus Christ. We practice baptism for the remission of sins, because Christ, in whom we believe, and who is our King and God, commanded it. To refuse His command, or the purpose for which He gave it is nothing short of rejecting Jesus Christ--"we will not that he should reign over us"-- at least in this respect. To simply follow Christ when you like it, is not to follow Him at all. You are your own King in such a case. That sets yourself above Jesus Christ, above His word. You sit in judgment over His Word, accept what you like and reject the rest if it is different from your feelings. Friends, such is not Christianity, but religious anarchy You do not have a right to "believe as you please," to choose the way you like to serve Him, but simply to humbly submit to Him who is Kind and Love, and is the creator of heaven and earth, and before whom we must all stand in a little while.Let me plead with you to renounce all denominational affiliations and humbly submit to Christ as Lord of lords, and King of kings. While we sing, just step out from your seat and come forward, confess your faith in Jesus as Lord, as you humbly repent of every sin, and be baptized for the remission of sin.

52. There were some good things about the Evangelical Churches. For one, there was much more of a community because it was a medium sized church (or about 200 members). There was plenty of opportunities to feel apart of something. People were engaging, drawing you in to these groups. If you were looking for a club to join, this was the place. Much of the teachings or lack of it, would just drive me in a rage. For instance, when the Pastor of this church would quote a scripture, he would leave parts of it out, especially if it could cause some kind of disagreement. It just made me really mad! To me, this church just was there to draw in the young people. They wanted everyone to feel welcome and one of their statements was something about how they didn’t care how you dressed.

53. Too many churches are aiming at doctrinal ambiguity and hoping to attract people by their atmosphere, cool worship, funny and yelling pastor, pastors, amneties, young crowd

54. .They preaches another Gospel. But is ignorance better than falsehood? Can the great God and Creator whose mighty acts and wondrous character confront us on every page of Scripture be reduced to a scant few beliefs? The simplicity of the gospel is precious, but its simplicity never robs it of its profundity. Place a rose in the hand of a child, and that child can see that it is a beautiful, fragrant flower, a gift of God. True doctrine teaches us about Christ, who is the Truth, the Word from above. When we teach and keep the truth about him, we are bound together in an eternal bond. The truth unites us to God and to each other.’

55. The church was allowing worldly practices into to church, and also allowing a minister to practice in a profession that the Bible clearly forbids.

56. Neither is Grace an excuse for Pastors to commit adultery and continue in the service of pastoring. Some of their pastors have given divorce and remarried again. The bible presents qualifications for elders and teachers. Grace has to do with our salvation, it’s not an excuse to live contrary to the word of God.

57. they have a notion of what a "Bible-believing" church looks like/feels like, in their minds, and they look for a Church that has that appearance and style.

It could be anything from a clapboard shack where everyone whoops and jumps and shouts in tongues, to a quiet, clean carpeted environment with an old man up front taking 45 minutes or so to exegete the Greek, while the kids go colour and hear Bible stories with the nice ladies in Sunday School.

58. They hate Catholic Church and pick on everything about Catholic Church, I John 3:15: "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.


Finally I can list on many errors which are unscriptural in every protestant denominations like how they pick about Catholic Church errors. There is no perfect church is this world. A "good" church is made up of imperfect people with a strong desire for God and His Word. But God didn't intend for us to be isolated from other believers, because we need each other. I love to stay in the Catholic Church as there are so much of divisions and chaos among the protestant churches. In the midst of life's struggles, we need the encouragement of other believers, and we need too the spiritual strength we get from public worship. The Bible says, "Let us not give up meeting together... but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day (of Christ's return) approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).

But we also need to let others know about our faith in Jesus - and one of the ways we can do that is by being active in our church. The Bible says God wants us to grow closer to Him, and to become more like Christ in our character and our behavior. God desires that every believer lead a righteous, holy and pure life.

Philippians 4:8:Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

For more articles please http://biblicalproof4catholicfaith.blogspot.com/


Visit http://home.inreach.com/bstanley/ which will throw light in many truths about denominational divisions.

Halloween!

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines" for our vines have tender grapes." Song of Solomon 2:15

Foxes sometimes in search of food would enter the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow, that we might think is little or insigificant, can also be disastrous.

Some may consider celebrating Halloween as on a little compromise. However, it is the "little foxes" that spoil the vines and this little compromise can open the door to other evils. Many Christians do not realize that certain traditions that are celebrated in the world have evil origins. Just because our socitey partakes in certain activities does not make it acceptable for Christians. We must look to Christ and His Word to see if the traditions of this world are good or evil.

One very evil tradition is the celebration of Halloween. No christian should partake in the activities of this holiday, nor should they allow thier children to do so. We can discern the evil of this day by taking a look at the festivities that are associated with it's celebration. Children are dressed up as witches, goblins, ghosts, little devils and fortune tellers. Games played at carnivals promote fear in children as they are ushered through spook houses and horror rooms. Skeletons, black cats and bats represent death and darkness, and their is no carnival without the gypsy who tells fortunes.

Satan has gained man's approval to celebrate his day by simply making it a tradition that seems like a fun day. The opposite is true, however, as more damage and harm are done on this day each year than any other holiday. Children re taught to go door to dorr chanting "trick or treat" it is unchristian to demand a gift under the threat of playing some trick.

Police are on the alert for juvenile vandalism and caution parents to be watchful..

Because so many of us have grown up celebrating Hallowee, and seemingly did not experience any negative effects, some feel that not celebrating Halloween at all is an extreme measure.

However, we would encourage you to pray about this. Is any holiday that glorifies death and darkness (even in fun) a proper thing for a Christain to do since we have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light?

1 Peter 2:9: "But ye are a chosen gereration, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."

Whether we feel that we have been really hurt by celebrating Halloween or not, is only part of the issue. How does God feel to see His people making light of demons and witchcraft? Shouldn't we be thinking about how to honor Him and show our love to Him? Where do your loyalities lie?

Most Satanists celebrate this as their high holy day and even offer human sacrifices to the devil. Until recently, most Christians have not questioned this traditional celebration, but rather have gone along with it by even bringing Halloween parties into the church, but the Druids in honor of Samhain, "the lord of the dead,"and his demons, whose festival fell on November 1. Halloween actually mean "holy or hallowed evening."

Parents have a responsibility not to allow their children to be exposed to these evil celebrations. What might seem to some as innocent children's games is a "little fox" that can open the door to satanic influences and even demon possession in some cases. Children can be tormented with a spirit of fear that can come through involvement that stays with them throughout their lives.

It also introduces children to witchcraft, making it easier for them to become involved in cults and occult activities. When children are taught it is alright to play with the things of darkness, it does give them repulsion and resistance that they need to stand against greater Satanic involvement. When the things of Satan are taken lightly, as games and fun, it sets our children up to accept evil rather than to resist it. This"little fox" is not only spreading evil to children but has a curse for the church and our nation as well.

As Christians, we should spread the words to others about the evil traditions of Halloween.

Ephesians :6-12: "Let no man decieve you with vain words" for because of these thngs cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobidience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the spirit is goodness and righteousness and truth 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret."

Catholics don't celebrate Halloween. On All Saints Day we honor all saints, past, present and future. Satan perverted the all saints day into Halloween day. Yet Satan constantly presents himself as good. In 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 Paul wrote that "Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light and hence became haloween. The first thing we can do as Catholic Christians then is to tell people what Halloween is really about and witness to our faith in the "sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." We can tell others that as Christians "we believe in the Communion of Saints and the Life Everlasting," that those who have died in Christ are actually MORE alive than we, and pray with and for us. Within our homes we can (and should) celebrate the day in our prayers, commemorating and thanking God for all the saints of every age...those known and those unknown...and unite our prayers to theirs in one great paean of praise. The best thing we can do however is to go to Mass. The holy days and feasts are gifts of the Church to us, opportunities to unite with our brothers and sisters and celebrate our common Faith in Jesus Christ, to join with "angels and archangels and all the company of Heaven" in making Eucharist to the Lord of Hosts

In the United States, many early American settlers came from England and they brought various beliefs about ghosts and witches with them. In the 1800's, many immigrants from Ireland and Scotland arrived in the United States and introduced their Halloween traditions. Other groups added their own cultural influences to Halloween customs. German immigrants brought a vivid witchcraft lore, and Haitian and African peoples brought their native voodoo beliefs about black cats, fire, and witchcraft. In the United States, the secular celebration of Halloween combines the diverse holidays and cultural practices of the immigrants who settled here. set of American customs and practices derived from European ones. Scripture speaks repeatedly of Satan being the father of lies and a deceiver (John 8:44; 2 Thessalonians 2:9) and that he also can disguise himself as an angel of light. Likewise, those who follow him, whether human or otherwise, do the same (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). The word of God tells us to "Test all things and cling to that which is good." 1 Thes. 5:21.

Halloween Is just candy and treat?

When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. (Deu 18:9-12)

● Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. (3 John 1:11)

● Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. (1 Th 5:21,22)

● Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. (Rom. 12:9)

● Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (Eph 5:11)

● But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Rev 21:8)

● Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. (Acts 19:18,19)

Candy To Children?

To give candy to children is to encourage a practice which is an abomination to God. On that basis alone, no professing Christian should have anything to do with it. Children should be educated on Halloween as to why they should have nothing to do with it, directly or indirectly, even though some apostate churches actually have Halloween parties and celebrations. (Sometimes, in an effort to disguise Halloween parties, some congregations have named it a Fall Festival instead.)

Just because Halloween is gaining in popularity, with its orange decorative lights, etc., doesn’t mean it is innocent and okay with God. It is not innocent nor is it Christian.

According to the Celtic religion, October 31 is the last day of their year and when spirits flood the countryside. It is supposed to be the best time to contact spirits. That has led to the various Halloween symbols and evil practices (including divination and even human sacrifice among the Satanists).

TRICK OR TREAT originally meant giving food to appease evil spirits or something bad like property damage would occur to your house.

Christmas!

Should Christians celebrate Christmas?" or, "How should a Christian celebrate Christmas?" These are questions of concern for many sincere believers. In fact, many believers dislike the season and have refused to celebrate it at all. A number of reasons are given, and while I might agree with some of their concerns and some of the reasons offered against the observance of Christmas, I would not necessarily agree with their conclusions.


One day I happened to catch a TV preacher denouncing the celebration of Christmas. He was saying it is pagan holiday, and that Christ could not have born in December. He used some Old Testament passages to show how the Christmas tree was idolatrous and an abomination. He quoted Jeremiah 10:2-4 which reads:

2 Thus says the LORD, "Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; 3 For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. 4 "They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers so that it will not totter.

Then he quoted Isaiah 44:14-15:

Isaiah 44:14-15 Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak, and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. 15 Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image, and falls down before it. (NASB)

Finally, he quoted Jeremiah 3:13:

Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lord your God And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,‘ declares the Lord.

It seems that the points of reference for this preacher were to "wood cut from the forest," "they decorate it with silver and gold," "he plants a fir" (an evergreen tree), "scattered your favors . . . under every green tree," and "falls down before it." The preacher went on to say, that at Christmas people take an evergreen tree cut from the forest; they decorate it with ornaments of silver and gold, and then fall down before it when they place their presents under the tree. His conclusion was that this is idolatry.

If this weren't so sad, it would be hilarious, but sincere people hear this and become concerned. As a pastor, I have had people ask me questions such as, "Are we wrong to celebrate Christmas?" "Is this idolatry?" "What should we do about celebrating Christmas?"

It is this mentality that I will address in this study. How should believers respond to such questions and to the criticism leveled against the celebration of Christmas and the Christmas season? Is it scripturally wrong to celebrate Christmas? Is it pagan?

Everywhere we go during the season, the signs of Christmas are there with all their glitter, tinsel, lights, greenery, cards, festivities, carols, bells, Santas, manger scenes, angels, trees and presents--and the push by Madison Avenue and the gimmicks of the retailers. The Christmas season either makes or breaks many businesses.

Should we play the part of Scrooge and say, "bah humbug!"? Should we call attention to the fact that certain of our Christmas traditions such as the yule log, the decorated tree, and mistletoe each have their roots in pagan festivals? Should we assert that celebrateChristmas is to promote paganism and materialism and thus is just not the biblical thing to do?

I personally do not agree with that conclusion. In this short study, we will take a look at some of the arguments and issues and consider some of the biblical options open to us as believers.

Arguments Against

the Celebration of Christmas

Argument Number 1: Christmas is Commercialized and Materialistic

It is said that because the birth of Christ has been commercialized and secularized the real meaning of the season been lost. For the most part this is true. Even the story about the birth of Christ is often distorted, mocked, or misrepresented. The meaning of Christmas is said to be the spirit of giving. However, the giving of the Son of God who became the babe of the cradle that He might become the man of the cross and one day reign on earth with the crown is forgotten, rejected, or ignored.

Answers and Considerations:

If we use this argument as a legitimate reason for discarding the entire celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas, it would follow that we would end up having to throw out everything--even our Bibles and our wives or husbands. Why? Because Satan and man distort and ruins everything in life--the Bible, sex, marriage, the church, food--everything. Name one thing that Satan doesn't ruin. We don't throw things out just because the world misuses or distorts them.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Paul says, "abstain from every form of evil" (NASB). Because of the translation of the KJV, "every appearance of evil," some have taken this to apply to anything that even looks like it might be evil. As the NASB translation make clear, however, Paul's meaning is "to abstain from every genuine form of evil," not what might simply appear to be evil. We are to abstain from what is genuinely evil or wrong according to the index of the Word of God. To abstain from the mere appearance of evil would seem to contradict what the Apostle says in the second passage important to this discussion.

In Titus 1:15 the Apostle also warns against those who see evil in almost anything and condemn it. For these people, a lot of things have the appearance of evil, but purity is first of all a matter of the mind and conscience, not merely the external. "To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled." (NASB).

Just because the world distorts something, that does not make it evil if we avoid the distortions and use it as God intended or in a way that does not go contrary to God's character and holiness. A good illustration is the beauty of sexual love within the bonds of marriage.

Argument Number 2: Scripture Doesn't Authorize It

The argument is that since we are not clearly authorized by the Bible to celebrate the birth of Christ during such a season, we should have no celebrations or even special services to commemorate the birth of Christ. On the other hand, Scripture does tell us to remember His death in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and we celebrate His resurrection by assembling on the first day of the week, but there is no precedent for celebrating His birth.

Answers and Considerations:

This is what we could legitimately call hyperliteralism in the use of Scripture. Such an approach completely misses the spirit and intent of the Bible. Hyperliteralism (or letterism) is an intense devotion to the details of the Bible in such a way that one misses the spirit and essential thrust of a passage. Mountains are made out of mole hills and the truth is missed. One is busy counting the number of letters in a sentence rather than listening to its instruction.

If we applied this argument consistently, we would need to discontinue the use of overheads, musical instruments, hymnals, chorus books, the church building, pews, Sunday school, Christian schools, and many other things. Further, there could be no special services or seasons to commemorate things God has done as with Thanksgiving or a dedication service for a new building. Why? Because the only illustrations of such things are found in the Old Testament and not the New Testament. If the New Testament had clearly spoken on this matter, this argument would be correct because the New Testament does take priority over the Old Testament. However, since it has not, the argument from silence is not sufficient reason.

Some would argue that the New Testament has not been silent, and this is the third argument we need to consider.

Argument Number 3: Scripture Forbids It

Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

Using this passage, it is claimed that Scripture actually warns and forbids the observance of any special months, seasons, days or religious festivals.

Answers and Considerations:

What Colossians 2:16-17 forbids is the celebration of religious seasons or holy days when they have been prescribed as religious duty and necessary for holiness or spirituality.

In this passage, the Apostle is talking about the Old Testament festivals which were shadows of the person and work of Christ--but Christ has now come. To continue to celebrate them is to dishonor the fact of His coming, or to act as though He were not enough for salvation or spirituality. Note what the Apostle says, "let no one act as your judge in regard to . . ." He is saying don't let anyone tell you these things are requirements for fellowship with God. They were only shadows of the person and work of Christ, and He has not only come and fulfilled those shadows, but He is totally sufficient.

Colossians 2:16 and 17 in no way forbids believers from commemorating something such as the birth of Christ if it is done out of love, devotion, and the joy the season gives when used as a way of focusing on the Savior and not as a religious duty. The issue is not the observance, but the reason, the attitudes and the spirit in which it is done.

Furthermore, I believe there is scriptural precedent for commemorating and remembering the birth of Christ. This is in keeping with the events that occurred around the time of Christ's birth These include:

1. The appearance of the angel of the Lord with the glory of the Lord to announce the birth of Christ to the shepherds (Lk. 2:10-12).

2. The response of the angels at the announcement of Christ's birth (Lk. 2:13-14).

3. The actions of the shepherds who left their flocks to go and see which was nothing short of a celebration (Lk. 2:15-20).

4. And the arrival of the men from the east bearing gifts as much as a year to two years later (Matt. 2:1-12).

There is, of course, the New Testament precedent for believers meeting together on Sunday. In essence this is a celebration of the Lord's resurrection. The early church automatically did this, but Scripture does not command us to do so. In fact, the early church at first met daily and took the Lord's Supper daily, but we don't do that today. Why not? Because these are not binding. We are not under the Law. Believers meet on Sunday because of its significance and because the early church set a precedent for it, but it was never commanded in the Bible. Believers did it out of love and adoration for the risen Savior.

The point is this: If the early church could celebrate the resurrection without a specific command from God, only the spirit of legalism or the letter of the law would forbid the celebration of Christ's birth as a special season of joy and adoration. Ultimately, the issue is not the season, its the attitude and reason behind it and the distortion of it. Let's not throw out the baby with the wash.

Argument Number 4: Christmas Traditions are from Paganism

Another argument against the celebration of Christmas as it has been done for years is the claim that many of the traditions found in the celebration of Christmas were brought over into Christianity from pagan practices. These include the yule log, the tree, special feasts or meals, and mistletoe. How can we justify these things? Isn't it just like celebrating Halloween? A number of Old Testament passages are sometimes used to condemn the use of Christmas trees such as: Jeremiah 10:2-5; Isaiah 40:19-20; 44:14-17. (See verses in introduction above.)

Answers and Considerations:

Some Historical Facts about our Traditions

The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible says:

Gradually a number of prevailing practices of the nations into which Christianity came were assimilated and were combined with the religious ceremonies surrounding Christmas. The assimilation of such practices generally represented efforts by Christians to transform or absorb otherwise pagan practices.

The Feast of Saturnalia in early Rome, for example, was celebrated for 7 days from the 17th to the 24th of December and was marked by a spirit of merriment, gift giving to children and other forms of entertainment. Gradually, early Christians replaced the pagan feast with the celebration of Christmas; but many of the traditions of this observance were assimilated and remain to this day a part of the observance of Christmas. Other nations, the Scandinavians, Germans, French, English and others, have left their mark . . . as well (pp. 804, 805).

Concerning these ancient elements, The Christian Encyclopedia says:

Various symbolic elements of the pagan celebration, such as the lighting of candles, evergreen decorations, and the giving of gifts, were adapted to Christian signification. Later as Christianity spread into northern Europe, the Celtic, Teutonic, and Slavic winter festivals contributed holly, mistletoe, the Christmas tree, bonfires, and similar items.

Finally, Unger's Bible Dictionary adds:

The giving of presents was a Roman custom; while the yule tree and yule log are remnants of old Teutonic nature worship. Gradually the festival sank into mere revelry . . . . The custom was forbidden by an act of parliament in 1555; And the reformation brought in a refinement in the celebration of Christmas by emphasizing it Christian elements.

But what about passages like Jeremiah 10? Some believe this condemns the celebration of Christmas and especially the use of the Christmas tree. Is Jeremiah telling us to avoid the customs of the nations? No. Jeremiah 10 is a denunciation of the making and worship of idols and not the decoration of evergreen trees in the home.

This passage is not a categorical denial of all the customs of the nations. It is only a command to avoid those customs that are contrary to the revelation of God to Israel. There were many customs that Israel and the nations had in common that were not wrong.

This passage in Jeremiah and others like it in Isaiah had to do with idolatry. First, Jeremiah warns against astrological worship--the worship of the sun, moon, and the stars. Second, he warns against going into the forest to cut down trees to be carved into an idol in some form whether human or animal, and then worshipped and prayed to for guidance, for protection, and blessing (cf. Isa. 44:14-17).

Some have tried to tie the reference to the green tree in Jeremiah 3:6, 13 to the reference in 10:3f to further justify condemnation of the Christmas tree, but this refers to the idolatrous groves of trees used as a place for idol worship and revelry.

Issues Facing Us Today

(1) The pagan associations were lost long ago

The names of the days of our week also had their origin in pagan beliefs. Thursday originally stood for the Germanic god of the sky or of thunder. Tuesday stood for Tiw, the god of war. And Wednesday is derived from Woden, the chief god in Germanic mythology. Sunday and Monday were related somehow to the worship of the sun and the moon. Saturday is from Saturnus, or Saturn, and Friday comes from Fria, the goddess of love.

All of these ancient meanings with their beliefs and associations were lost long ago. When Friday roles around we don't think about Fria, the goddess of love. On Saturday we don't think about it as Saturn's day, but as our day off! The same applies to the traditions of Christmas. If one observed the days of the week or the Christmas season with their ancient associations in mind, certainly it would be wrong. But many of these things, as with our Sunday, have been given Christian connotations.

The evergreen tree is a symbol of the eternal life which Christ, the Son of God, offers to man via another tree, the cross (Rev. 2:7; 22:2, 14).

The presents under the tree can remind us of God's gift and our need to give of ourselves to others as those who have received God's gift of life through Christ.

Even without seeking special significance in the traditions of Christmas, you could still celebrate this season for the joy and family fun the season can bring.

I would like to suggest that believers can capitalize on the Christmas season as a family tradition and as a learning experience much like the Old Testament Passover was to be used by Israel. It all depends on the spirit and attitude in which it is done. We can be very negative and critical, or we can be positive and use the season as a time to remember and commemorate the birth of the Savior. We can use it as a time to demonstrate love for others in a special way, and to be together as a family like we do on Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, or New Years. We can make something evil out of it or something good.

(2) Facts of Scripture Concerning the Celebration of Christmas

In view of what we have seen, the Bible is silent from the standpoint of our Christmas traditions. However, because of our freedom in Christ under grace, we are at liberty to celebrate Christmas. The important point is that the Bible simply does not condemn the celebration of Christmas even in the traditional form and we have liberty in Christ to choose to do so.

Scripture does, however, set down principles which should affect the way we celebrate it. These principles warn and protect us from the distortions we find in the world.

Today in many companies and offices, Christmas is celebrated with wild, drunken parties where there is no regard for the reason for the season--the birth of the Savior of the World. It becomes just a time of merriment and a time to tie one on.

Today people often spend lavishly on gifts and go deeply in debt. They buy things they can't afford, which nobody needs, and sometimes can't even identify. The response is "Hey, thanks. What is it?"

Children get caught up with the gifts and the toys and lose sight of the Savior--or never hear about the Lord as God's gift of His Son that we might have life.

Through the Christmas message, Parents often fail to teach the spirit of giving as an outworking of one's relationship with God through faith in Christ, God's gift to the world.

Finally, some may observe the season as they would observe lent, as a religious holy day that must be observed to gain points with God, or to become more spiritual.

But it doesn't have to be like this. Even the gift aspect can be done in such a way that it is instructive, meaningful, in keeping with one's budget, and in keeping with biblical teaching concerning Christian stewardship.

(3) Ancient traditions are often distortions of original revelation

Many of the customs of Christmas originated in ancient Babylonian paganism and were related in various ways to the mother-child cult. But an important concept is often missed here.

Originally, many of the ideas of these pagan practices may have had their roots in the truth of the Old Testament or divine revelation from God as:

In Genesis 3:15, we have the promise of the Savior through the seed of a woman.

In Isaiah 7:14, we have the promise that this Savior will come through the virgin birth.

A number of passages use the symbol of a tree to point to the promise of life through the Messiah. Genesis 2:9: 3:17, 22; Revelation 2:7; 22:2, 14 all speak of a tree of life, some historic, some prophetic. Isaiah 4:2; 11:1; 60:21; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15 and Zechariah 3:8; 6:12 all speak of the branch of the Lord as the work of God.

These verses form a whole line of prophecies concerning the branch of the Lord, the shoot, that would spring forth and become a tree of life both to Israel and the nations. So, when we come to the New Testament, we find reference to a tree of life that is available to believers in Christ.

In view of these Old Testament prophecies, I believe four things are evident:

These ancient customs of the nations were originally introduced into the religious life of the nations by Satan to distort the original promises and truth of God which these customs would portray. For instance, in the mother-child cult of ancient Babylon, the mother was the primary object of worship, not her son. This was a distortion of the promise of Genesis 3:15.

These customs came from a basic need in man (one built in by God) for the truth and need of a Savior. The practices, though in perverted form, did portray a deliverer, the provision of eternal life, the gift of God through the seed of a woman, a divine branch from heaven as the means of reconciliation to God.

The principle is that these customs cast surprising light on the revelation of God's grace as they originally came from God in the beginning of human history. As with the story of the flood, the temptation, and the fall of man, they all became perverted from that which we find in the inspired Word. However, in many cases, they did point to original revelation from God and maybe even customs that were originally pure.

Today, our Christmas traditions have lost their original pagan significance or connotations. In some cases, the distortions were corrected by the reformers over two hundred years ago, but they did not see fit to condemn the celebration of Christmas.

(4) The celebration of Christmas falls under the category of doubtful things.

It is argued that since Scripture does not clearly rule out the celebration of Christmas; its celebration falls under the category of debatable or doubtful things covered by the principles of Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 and 9. In summary, these passages teach us the following principles:

Every believer must become convinced in his or her own mind (Rom. 14:5).

We must not judge or look upon other with contempt who do not come to the same conclusion that we do (Rom. 14:3, 4, 13).

Just as there is nothing evil in meat sacrificed to idols, so there is nothing inherently evil in the traditional Christmas with the tree, presents, carols, and decorations. Such things become what people make them by their attitudes and beliefs (Rom. 14:22-23; 1 Cor. 8:4-8; 10:19).

The ultimate issue is our attitude, the reasons, and how if one decides to celebrate the Christmas season in some fashion.

(5) Some Options to Consider

If you have doubts or misgivings, do away with any observance of the Christmas season all together. But do not become a Scrooge and look down on those who do celebrate it (Rom. 14:-5).

Cut out some or all of the traditional elements like the tree, presents, etc., but spend the season reflecting on the birth of the Savior through the Word and the singing of carols.

Keep the season's traditions--the tree, presents, and decorations--but divorce them of any religious tones. Use this part of the season simply as a family tradition for fun and family togetherness. But remember the birth of Christ through carols, reading the Christmas story, and times with other members of the body of Christ.

Keep the Christmas traditions and use them to illustrate and focus on the truth of Jesus Christ. (1) The tree speaks of the Lord and the eternal life which He gives; (2) The presents speak of God's love and gift to us of His Son and of our love for one another. Make the emphasis more on giving rather than receiving. (3) The mistletoe speaks of the gift of God's righteous branch, and the kiss or hug stands for kissing the Son in faith--an expression of faith in Christ as God's means of salvation and reconciliation (Psalm 2).

The problem is that many believers are already carnal or marginal in their spiritual life and they get caught up in the rat race and secularization of the season. People spend far more than they can afford. They seek relief from their burdens and seek happiness in the glitter and merry making of the holidays, rather than in the person of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. They look for the season to give joy, rather than the Person of the season. They expect from the season what only God can give. As a result, depression and suicide reaches its peak during the Christmas season and immediately following it.

Argument Number 5: Uncertainty of the Date of Christ's Birth

As one who has specialized in biblical chronology, Dr. Harold W. Hoehner, professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote:

Jesus Christ entered into the history of our world, Christianity, therefore, has historical basis. The backbone of history is chronology. Whereas history is a systematic account of events in relation to a nation, institution, science, or art; chronology is a science of time. It seeks to establish and arrange the dates of past events in their proper sequence. Thus chronology serves as a necessary framework upon which the events of history may be fitted (BIB SAC, Vol. 130, # 520, Oct.-Dec., 1973, p. 338).

The argument is that Christ could not have been born on December 25 or even in the winter, so the entire celebration is wrong, even the time of the year.

Answers and Considerations:

By considering the chronological notes in Scripture such as Luke 2:1, "it seems that the evidence would lead one to conclude that Christ's birth occurred sometime in the winter of 5/4 B.C." (Hoehner, p. 350). Our concern here is not with the year, but with the month Christ was born--or at least the time of year, i.e., winter or spring. Is a winter date out of the question? Is it possible or maybe even probable?

1. Hoehner points out that the traditional date for the birth of Christ as December 25th dates back to as early as Hippolytus (A..D. 165-235). In the Eastern church January 6th was the date used for Christ's birth. But this is still a winter date and not far removed from December 25th.

2. Chrysostom (A..D. 345-407) in 386 stated that December 25th is the correct date and hence it became the official date for Christ's birth except in the Eastern church which still retained January 6th.

3. One of the main objections has been that sheep were usually taken into enclosures from November through March and were not out in the fields at night. However, this is not as conclusive as it sounds for the following reasons: (a) It could have been a mild winter. (b) It is not at all certain that sheep were always brought into enclosures during the winter months. (c) It is true that during the winter months sheep were brought in from the wilderness, but remember, Luke tells us the shepherds were near Bethlehem rather than in the wilderness. This indicates, if anything, the nativity was in the winter months. (d) The Mishnah tells us the shepherds around Bethlehem were outside all year and those worthy of the Passover were nearby in the fields at least 30 days before the feast which could be as early as February (one of the coldest, rainiest months of the year). So December is a very reasonable date.

James Kelso, an archaeologist who spent a number of years living in Palestine and who has done extensive research there says this:

The best season for the shepherds of Bethlehem is the winter when heavy rains bring up a luscious crop of new grass. After the rains the once-barren, brown desert earth is suddenly a field of brilliant green. One year when excavating at New Testament Jericho, I lived in Jerusalem and drove through this area twice every day. At one single point along the road, I could see at times as many as five shepherds with their flocks on one hillside. One shepherd stayed with his flock at the same point for three weeks, so lush was the grass. But as soon as the rains stopped in the spring, the land quickly took on its normal desert look once again.

Since there seem to have been a number of shepherds who came to see the Christ child, December or January would be the most likely months (James Kelso, An Archaeologist Looks At The Gospels, p. 23-24).

Argument Number 6: The Timing of the Magi's Arrival

It has been claimed the Magi could not have arrived in Bethlehem at the time of Christ's birth. It would have taken months to travel to Bethlehem from the East. The family was living in a house when the Magi arrived, and Herod had children killed up to two years old when he heard about the child.

While none of this really affects whether one should celebrate Christmas, this argument is often used to throw further doubt and contempt for the entire tradition of celebrating Christmas.

Answers and Considerations:

The argument concerning the time required to travel from the East assumes a great deal. It assumes they were in the East when the star was seen, or even that God had not revealed information to them which could have caused them to begin their journey before the star was seen.

Let me just quote Hoehner from BIB SAC again (Vol. 130, # 520, p. 349).

The question arises whether Matthew is speaking of the same time as Luke or a later time. Madison attempts to demonstrate that the Magi visited Christ when He was about two years of age by noting that the Lukan narrative uses the term brephos (2:12) which is used to refer to an unborn, a newborn child, or an infant whereas Matthew uses the words paidion (2:8, 9,11, 13, 14, 20, 21) and pais (2:16) which are used of a child that is at least one year old rather than an infant. The fact that the wise men came to the house (in Matthew's account) rather than a manger (in Luke's account) would also indicate that Jesus was older when Herod slew the children. Thus Luke is talking about the time of Christ's birth whereas Matthew is talking about two years after Christ's birth.

However, the distinction is not so clear-cut as Madison would have one to believe. The term padion is used of infants (Luke 1:59:, 66, 76; John 16:21; Heb. 11:23) and brephos is used of a young child (2 Tim. 3;15). The word pais is used in the N.T. of a child six out of twenty-four times (the other eighteen occurrences speak of a servant). In the O.T. the meaning "servant" is almost unanimous. In Matthew 2:16 pais would fall into the same age category as paidion since the latter term is used nine times in the same context. Furthermore, to say that Jesus was no longer an infant because the magi visited Him in a house rather than a stable is quite weak. Certainly they would have moved to a house as soon as it was possible. Indeed the tone of Matthew 2:1 is that the Magi visited Christ soon after His birth. That Herod killed children up to two years old was only to be sure he got Jesus. This is not out of character with Herod. Therefore, the slaying of the children soon after Christ's birth is tenable.

Please note what Charles Ryrie has to say on Matthew 2:11 in his Study Bible, p. 1447.

into the house . . . the Child. These words need not indicate that the wise men came some time after the birth of Christ. The family would naturally have moved into a house as quickly as possible after Jesus was born, and "child" can mean a newborn (John 16:21). We do not know how many wise men there were, gold and frankincense and myrrh. These were gifts worthy of a king. The early church fathers understood the gold to be symbolic of Christ's deity; the frankincense, of His purity; and the myrrh, of His death (since it was used for embalming).

Argument Number 7: Christmas means "Christ's Mass"

The name Christmas is objected to because it means Christ's Mass. This is supposed to be a reference to the Roman Catholic ritual involving the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper. Roman Catholic tradition holds that by the priest's consecration the bread and the wine are changed into the literal body and blood of Christ; that this consecration is a new offering of Christ's sacrifice, and that by partaking of the elements the communicant receives saving and sanctifying grace from God.

Answers and Considerations:

Christ + mass, can also mean "a large number or quantity." It can also mean simply a mass of religious services in commemoration of the birth of Christ. In other words, mass stands for festival involving a number of religious activities, and is not a reference to the Roman Catholic ritual of the Eucharist.

Further, even if the term originally referred to the Roman Catholic ritual of the Eucharist, it long ago lost that connotation and is really not an issue.

Argument Number 8: What about Santa Claus?

Christmas can involve children in the belief of Santa Claus, a mythical figure, which detracts from the person of Christ. The objection is that the emphasis is turned from Jesus Christ to Santa Claus as the giver of gifts for good behavior rather than God's gift of His Son by grace through faith.

Furthermore, young children sometimes confuse Santa with Jesus Christ since "he knows when you've been sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good, . . .

The idea of gifts for good behavior can connote a "reward for good deeds" mentality which is opposed to God's gift of His Son through faith. Scripture does promise rewards for obedience.

Answers and Considerations:

The Santa Clause idea originated with a man by the name of St. Nicholas who was the Bishop of Myra in Lycia in the area of present day Turkey. He went about, often at night, giving gifts to poor and needy children. He later became the patron saint of children in the Roman Catholic Church. From here the story grew and became legend in country after country with various details were deleted and added as the legend of St. Nick grew.

So, how should believers handle it? Santa may be taken as a fairy tale idea like Alice in Wonderland, or Jack and the Bean Stalk. Children normally understand that Alice in Wonderland is only make believe--a fairy tale. However, for many children Santa is real. In many ways it is probably harmless. But because of the confusion between Santa and Christ, parents need to be careful in their use of this part of Christmas.

We also need to remember that Scripture does promise rewards for godly behavior or faithfulness for believers in Christ. Salvation is a gift through faith alone in Christ alone, but crowns, metonomy for rewards, are promised for faithful and obedient living (1 Pet. 5:4).

What is born again?

Being born again means born of water and of the Spirit, born of God, begotten of God, born of the Spirit, regeneration, washing of regeneration, renewing of the Holy Ghost, making all things new, being translated out of darkness into God’s marvelous light , conversion, God’s beginning a good work in you. Actually Jesus says, "You must be born from above" (John 3:3).


God's word says that all believers in Jesus Christ have been "baptized in the Holy Spirit," whether or not they have "spoken in tongues." The Apostle Paul plainly states: "We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body" (I Con 12:13). Every believer in Christ has been born again by the baptism of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. But then Paul proceeds to indicate that not all believers have received the special gift of the Holy Spirit that once enabled some people to speak in foreign languages they had never learned. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (John 3:1-7).

There are TWO BIRTHS. The "first" birth is the PHYSICAL BIRTH when you were born into this world from your mother and father. When the Bible speaks of being "born of water," it is speaking about the physical the "second" birth is a SPIRITUAL BIRTH, which means to be born of the "Spirit" (God's Holy Spirit). A roman 8:9 tells us that the Spirit of Christ dwells within every believer. We are born again by the Word of God. Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1,14: Revelation 19:13).

In Romans 6:4 in which St. Paul says: "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

And here we can see that a person who is born physically alive but spiritually fallen and dead can be regenerated into new life. How? By being baptized INTO the death of Christ - by being mysteriously joined to Him in death - so that by the power of the Father through the working of the Holy Spirit - when Christ is raised from the dead we too will rise WITH Him into "newness of life."

Newness of life = born again. Some people who claim that we are born again ONLY by a conversion experience BEFORE we are baptized. why? "He who believes and is baptize will be saved..."

Faith AND baptism are both necessary, no matter in what order they manifest themselves.

Let us look two verses ahead at John 3:5. In John 3:5, Nicodemus is confused about being born again. Jesus clarifies what He states to Nicodemus stating:

(John 3:5) - Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

Here we see that born again means the sacrament of baptism! The man who is baptized may not “feel” any different after baptism than before. But once he is baptized, he has received the Holy Spirit in a special way. He has been regenerated and made a child of God through the divine son ship of Jesus Christ in which he shares. He has been buried with Christ and raised to new life with Him. He has objectively and publicly identified himself with Jesus' death and resurrection.