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Monday, December 22, 2008

East Pierce Fire & Rescue




One thing i take pride in is being a firefighter. Besides being a preacher, i think this is the most rewarding job there is. It has been such an awesome experience for me. To know you are there for someone on the worst day of their life to try and make it better.





































In Memory Of Chief Dan Packer



















Saturday, December 20, 2008

Why I Dont Believe In Christmas






If there has ever been a holiday that goes against God and the Bible, it has got to be Christmas. Yet millions of people-The Church are deceived into believing in this pagan holiday.

Here it is in a nutshell:


You people better read it all. This took me forever lol ;)

Stop and think a moment. Very few have ever reflected on WHY they believe what they do - WHY they follow the customs they do, or from WHERE those customs came. We were born into a world filled with customs. We grew up accepting them without question. Why? Sheep instinct? Well, not exactly. But by nature we do tend to follow the crowd, whether right or wrong. Sheep follow others to the slaughter. Humans ought to check up where they are going. How - WHEN did Christmas originate? Does Christmas REALLY celebrate the birthday of Christ? Was Jesus born on December 25th? Did the original apostles, who knew Jesus personally and were taught by Him, celebrate His birthday on December 25th? Did they celebrate it AT ALL?

The word "Christmas" means "Mass of Christ," or, shortened, "Christ-Mass." From the Roman Catholic Church it came to the non-Christians and Protestants. Where did they get it? NOT from the New Testament - NOT from the Bible - NOT from the original apostles who were personally instructed by Christ - but it gravitated in the fourth century into the Roman Church from paganism. Christmas was NOT among the earliest festivals on the Church...the first evidence of the feast is FROM EGYPT." "PAGAN CUSTOMS centering around the January calends gravitated to Christmas.
Jesus wasnt even born in the winter season! When Jesus was born "there were in the same country shepherds ABIDING in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). This never could have occurred in Judaea in the month of December. The shepherds always brought their flocks from the mountainsides and fields and corralled them not later than October 15, to protect them from the cold, rainy season that followed that date. Notice that the Bible itself proves, in Song of Solomon 2:11 and Ezra 10:9, 13, that winter was a rainy season not permitting shepherds to abide in open fields at night.

It was an ancient custom among Jews of those days to send out their sheep to the fields and deserts about the Passover (early spring), and bring them home at commencement of the FIRST RAIN," says the Adam Clarke Commentary.
Any encyclopedia, or any other authority, will tell you that Christ was not born on December 25. The Catholic Encyclopedia frankly states this fact.

The exact date of Jesus' birth is entirely unknown, as all authorities acknowledge - though if I had space in this booklet I could show you scriptures which at least strongly indicate it was in the early fall - probably September - approximately six months after Passover.

If God had wished us to observe and celebrate Christ's birthday, He would not have so completely hidden the exact date.

Jesus commanded that we remember His Death, NOT His Birth.

But if we got Christmas from the Roman Catholics, and they got it from paganism, where did the pagans get it? Where, when, and what was its real origin?

From many ancient writings, considerable is learned of this man, Nimrod, who started the great organized worldly apostasy from God that has dominated this world until now. Nimrod was so evil, it is said he married his own mother, whose name was Semiramis. After Nimrod's untimely death, his so-called mother-wife, Semiramis, propagated the evil doctrine of the survival of Nimrod as a spirit being. She claimed a full-grown evergreen tree sprang overnight from a dead tree stump, which symbolized the springing forth unto new life of the dead Nimrod. On each anniversary of his birth, she claimed Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts upon it. December 25th was the birthday of Nimrod. This is the real origin of the Christmas tree.

Through her scheming and designing, Semiramis became the Babylonian "Queen of Heaven," and Nimrod, under various names, became the "divine son of heaven." Through the generations, in this idolatrous worship, Nimrod also became the false Messiah, son of Baal the Sun-god. In this false Babylonish system, the "Mother and Child" (Semiramis and Nimrod reborn) became chief objects of worship. This worship of "Mother and Child" spread over the world. The names varied in different countries and languages. In Egypt it was Isis and Osiris. In Asia, Cybele and Deoius. In pagan Rome, Fortuna and Jupiterpuer. Even in Greece, China, Japan, Tibet is to be found the counterpart of the Madonna, LONG BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST!

Thus, during the fourth and fifth centuries, when the pagans of the Roman world were "accepting" the new popular "Christianity" by the hundreds of thousands, carrying their old pagan customs and beliefs along with them, merely cloaking them with Christian-sounding names, the Madonna and "Mother and Child" idea also became popularized, especially at Christmas time. Every Christmas season you'll hear sung and chanted dozens of times the hymn "Silent Night, Holy Night," with its familiar "Mother and Child" theme. We, who have been born in such a babylonish world, reared and steeped in these things all our lives, have been taught to revere these things as holy and sacred. We never questioned to see where they came from - whether they came from the Bible, or from pagan idolatry!

We are shocked to learn the truth - some, unfortunately, take offense at the plain truth! But God commands His faithful ministers, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression!" Shocking as these facts are, they are the plain facts of history and the Bible. The real origin of Christmas goes back to ancient Babylon. It is bound up in the organized apostasy which has gripped a deceived world these many centuries. In Egypt, it was always believed that the son of Isis (Egyptian name for "Queen of Heaven") was born December 25th. Paganism celebrated this famous birthday over most of the known world for centuries before the birth of Christ.

Now where did we get this mistletoe custom? Among the ancient pagans the mistletoe was used at this festival of the winter solstice because it was considered sacred to the sun, because of its supposed miraculous healing power. The pagan custom of kissing under the mistletoe was an early step in the night of revelry and drunken debauchery - celebrating the death of the "old sun" and the birth of the new at the winter solstice. Mistletoe, sacred in pagan festivals, is a parasite!

Holly berries were also considered sacred to the sun-god. The yule log is in reality the "sun log." "Yule" means "Wheel," a pagan symbol of the sun. Yet today professing Christians speak of the "sacred yule-tide season"!

Even the lighting of fires and candles as a Christian ceremony is merely a continuation of the pagan custom, encouraging the waning sun-god as he reached the lowest place in the southern skies.

The Encyclopedia Americana says: "The holly, the mistletoe, the Yule log...are relics of pre-Christian times." Of paganism!

The book Answers to Questions, compiled by Frederick J. Haskins, found in public libraries, says: The use of Christmas wreaths is believed by authorities to be TRACEABLE TO THE PAGAN CUSTOMS of decorating building and places of worship at the feast which took place at the same time as Christmas. The CHRISTMAS TREE IS FROM EGYPT, and its origin dates from a period long anterior to the Christian Era."

But surely dear old Santa Claus is not a creature of pagan birth? But he is, and his real character is not so benevolent and holy as many suppose.

The name "Santa Claus" is a corruption of the name "St. Nicholas," a Roman Catholic bishop who lived in the 5th century. Look in the Encyclopedia Britannica, volume 19, pages 648-649, 11th edition, where you'll read: "St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra, a saint honored by the Greeks and Latins on the 6th of December... A legend of his surreptitious bestowal of dowries on the three daughters of an impoverished citizen...is said to have originated the old custom of giving presents in secret on the Eve of St. Nicholas [Dec. 6], subsequently transferred to Christmas day. Hence the association of Christmas with Santa Claus..."

Through the years, parents punish their children for telling falsehoods. Then, at Christmas time, they themselves tell their little children this "Santa Claus" lie! Is it any wonder many of them, when they grow up and learn the truth, begin to believe God is a myth, too?

While i am on Ol Saint Nick, check this out: "Santa equals Satan"


Jesus has hair like wool(Rev 1:14)-Santa Clause has white hair like wool.
Jesus has a beard (Isaiah 50:6) - Santa Claus has a beard.
Jesus comes in red apparel Isaiah (63:1-2)-Santa Claus comes in red apparel.
Jesus hour of return is a mystery (Luke 12:40; Mark 13:33) -Santa Claus hour coming is a mystery.
Jesus comes from the North where He lives (Ezekiel 1:4; Psalm 48:2) - Santa Claus comes from the North where he lives: North Pole.
Jesus is a carpenter (Mark 6:3) - Santa is a toy carpenter.
Jesus is coming as a thief in the night (Matthew 24:43-44) - Santa Claus is coming as a thief in the night. Even gains entrance to homes as a thief.
Jesus is Omnipotent -- all powerful (Rev 19:6) - Santa Claus is Omnipotent -- can deliver all the toys of the world in one night.
Jesus is Omnipotent -- can deliver all the toys of the world in one night - Santa Claus is Omniscient -- knows if you have been good or bad, for the entire year.
Jesus is Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10; Ephesians 4:6; John 3:13) - Santa Claus is Omnipresent -- sees when you wake or sleep. Has to be everywhere at once to be able to deliver all the toys in one short night.
Jesus lives in men (1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16-17) - Santa Claus lives in the hearts of children.
Jesus is a Giver of Gifts (Ephesians 4:8) - Santa Claus is a Giver of Gifts.
Jesus sits on a throne (Rev 5:1; Heb 1:8) - Santa Claus sits on a throne.
Jesus wants us to boldly go to the throne of Grace for our needs (Heb 4:16) - Santa Claus biddens children to approach his throne to ask for anything they want.
Jesus is Lord of Hosts (Mal 3:5; Isa 8:13; Psalms 24:10) - Santa Claus is lord over a host of elves - (In Druidic religion, elves are demons or tree spirits).
God says, "Ho, ho ... (Zechariah 2:6) - Santa Claus says, "Ho, ho, ho ..."
Jesus is The Prince of Peace, the Image of God (Isa 9:6; Hebrews 1:3) - Santa Claus is the symbol of World Peace, the image of the Christmas Season.

That is no coincidence. Clearly, you can see that someone deliberately created a Secular counterfeit to Jesus Christ, matching the many attributes of Jesus Christ with Santa Claus! There are too many direct matches for this creation of Santa Claus to have been an accident.

Hopefully you'll think twice before you tell your kids there is such thing as Santa or before you sit them on the lap of some old white bearded pervert at the mall...

But when it comes to the most important part of all in this Christmas observance - the Christmas shopping season - the buying and exchanging of gifts - many will exclaim triumphantly, "Well, at least the Bible tells us to do that. Didn't the wise men give gifts when Christ was born?"

The fact is, this custom fastened upon people of exchanging gifts with friends and relatives at the Christmas season HAS NOT A SINGLE TRACE OF CHRISTIANITY ABOUT IT, strange though that may seem. This does not celebrate Christ's birthday nor honor it or Him! Suppose someone you love has a birthday. You want to honor that person on his or her birthday. Would you lavishly buy gifts for EVERYONE ELSE, trading gifts back and forth with all your OTHER friends and loved ones, but ignore completely any gift for the one whose birthday you are honoring? Rather absurd, when viewed in that light, isn't it?

Yet this is exactly what people the world over are doing. They honor a day that is not Christ's birthday by spending every dime they can scrape together in buying presents to trade back and forth among friends and relatives. But I can say by years of experience, as I believe most pastors and ministers can say, that when the month of December rolls around, nearly all professing Christians forget to give gifts to Christ and His cause almost altogether. December often is the most difficult month to keep Christ's work from dying. People are too busy trading gifts back and forth among themselves to think of Him and His Work, it seems. Then, in January and even into February it seems they have to catch up from what they spent for Christmas, so they seldom get back to normal.
I could keep on going-i am sure there is a lot more i could add. But i am just getting to tired lol.

But hopefully, this got you to think a little bit.

Merry Christmas-NOT!!!!!

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Uhh....

Uh...So i am new at this whole blogging thing. So hang in there and hopefully ill get this figured out.