-Mardi Gras & Lent-
What about?
Well, as we finally got through with
one Christianized pagan holiday and then we have another. The
scriptures teach us that the satan has
deceived the whole world. (Revelation 12:9) Therefore, only those with
which the living Elohim has opened their eyes and called them out of such
deception will be made able then to understand what is actually going
on. This would also then imply that most will not be able to
understand, but would instead think that those of us who don't engage in
paganized Christianity are just not normal. This writer would agree
whole heartedly! True Messianic believers will not be normal and
will not fit in with those of the world and even those of the worldly Church. Why? Because followers of Yahweh are being converted from a lifestyle of
unrighteousness to a lifestyle of righteousness. Such has yet
to take place among those who are still being deceived by the satan.
The Apostle Peter spoke these
words: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a set apart nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of
darkness into his marvelous light." 1st Peter 2:9 According to
the scriptures, we are to be a peculiar people. That means to be
different, out of place, not normal, odd balls, etc. Realize that
Peter began this verse with the term, "BUT," which means, "wait,
what I'm about to say is indifferent to what I have just
said!" So let us see what Peter had just said previously to
this verse. "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:
but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed,
the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock
of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient:
whereunto also they were appointed." 1st Peter 2:7,8
To those who are truly converted
believers, Messiah and His ways are precious, but to those who are disobedient,
even unconverted believers, stumble and trip over the ways of Messiah because
of their lifestyle of disobedience. It is offensive to the
disobedient to even think that they need to obey! But according to
verse 8, they were appointed to be this way, meaning that their whole purpose
is to test and try the chosen people of Yah. (1st. Cor. 11:19; Jude
1:4; Rom. 9:11-23) They are not presently
being called and chosen to reign with Yahshua in the coming
Kingdom. Their day of salvation is yet to come. So those
of disobedience are called for their purpose, but those of obedience are called
for a different purpose. Each have their
purpose and calling, that in the end of all things, Yahweh will be
honored. Since the satan has
deceived the whole world, only those whom Yahweh has called out of darkness and
into His marvelous light are going to be able to understand and have the desire
then to obey His ways.
Mardi Gras actually
begins with Valentine's Day in that they both have at their roots the same
pagan origins soaked in the sexual debauchery of the old heathen world only
modernized and then Christianized for our deception. From
Valentine's Day thru Mardi Gras, we have a
paganized Church ordained time of sinful activity, only then to have a supposed
time of repentance during the days of Lent beginning with what they call Ash
Wednesday http://theopenscroll.com/ashWednesday.htm and
ending with the Easter season. In other words, live it up, because
you are going to have to repent afterwards and the more you live it up, the
more you get to repent afterwards. What hypocrisy! What
twisted thinking! It is like saying the more we sin, the more grace
abounds, so let’s sin all the more so the grace can abound all the more! "What
shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that favor (grace) may
abound? Yahweh forbid. How shall we,
that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Romans 6:1,2
Lent is observed by people with
good intentions; we would not deny this to be. But as with
any observance of worship and of one's “religious” beliefs, it must have a
standard and basis from the scriptures, otherwise it is mere traditions based
upon commandments of men with the real intentions, unknown by most, is to
reject the commandments of Yahweh. Such worship is in
vain. (Matthew 15:8,9; Mark 7:6-9,13) It is
also important to note that a little leaven, leavens the whole lump. (1st
Corinthians 5:6) We cannot mix a little bit of paganism in with the truth of
Yahweh for by so doing the whole becomes pagan. Most all of today's
Christian observances and holidays are a mix of old world pagan beliefs only
repackaged with a Christianized coating. Does this somehow transform
that which would be concluded by Christianity from heathen practices into a set
apart observance just because the Roman Church and her harlot daughters say
so? Yahweh forbid, for we are to go by
scripture only, not oral traditions.
Lent originated from pre-apostolic
times from an ancient Babylonian worship of the death and supposed resurrection
of Tammuz. They would weep for this false deity for 40 days each
year until the anniversary of his resurrection. This false deity was
mentioned in Ezekiel 8:14 and is associated with a number of abominations
connected to sun worship, which is at the heart of Babylonianism from
which we are commanded to come out of. (Rev. 18:4.) This
is the worship of the other Messiah (1st Cor.11:4) associated with
another great false day of observance known as the Easter. In
post-apostolic times, what became the Romanish Church
amalgamated pagan customs into the Messianic beliefs. Such became
Christianity. Those beliefs have been carried all the way down into our day and
are observed without question. Modern day false Protestants are
bowing to the edicts of the Catholic Church by obeying and accepting her
doctrines.
All of this is leading up to the great
pagan day of Easter. The worship of the East Star. Most all of the Christianized pagan holidays are wrapped up in Sun
Worship, including the weekly observance of the Sun-day.
Why not observe and keep Yahweh's set
apart days? His days of commanded worship are Passover and the Days
of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, the Last
Great Day and the weekly 7th day Sabbath. The scriptural set apart
days and appointed times are actually based upon scripture, not upon oral
traditions and commandments of men who are being deceived by the satan. It's not a hard
decision to make; you don't have to think hard about
it. What would make more sense; keeping days of worship mentioned in
the scriptures, or keeping days of worship not mentioned in the
scriptures? But if you are still blinded and deceived you will not
come out of Mystery Babylon. It is only when Yahweh calls you out
and chooses you in Yahshua Messiah will you hear and understand and
then and only then will you be given the opportunity to be among the called out
ones. If and when your day of salvation comes, you had better catch
that wave, hop on that train, jump into the deep end, or whatever other
metaphor you can think of, for to do otherwise is to reject your day of
opportunity.
We here at the Old Paths Restoration
Ministry have a deep love for those who are in Babylon. If Yahweh is calling His people out of her, (Rev. 18:4) then it
shows this writer that we still have brethren in Babylon. He
uses many methods of calling our brothers and sisters out of such spiritual
confusion. He may be using this ministry right now to speak to
you.
The Old Paths Restoration Ministry
PO Box 247
Marengo, IN 47140