Jesus - the god
of Christendom

Of all the gods in the world the most popular
of them all is the "Jesus" god of Christendom.
The vast army of two billion almost-Christians
happily proclaim that their Jesus is "God, the
son", a happy god who loves everyone. Many
of the Jesus-worshipers believe that they are
"saved" merely by knowing and accepting Jesus
as their god.

Wouldn’t the Jesus-worshipers of the
world  be astonished if they knew he
was only a man-made god?

Who is the real God?

19 O Jehovah, my strength, and my stronghold,
and my refuge in the day of affliction, unto thee
shall the nations come from the ends of the earth,
and shall say, Our fathers have inherited nought
but lies, even vanity and things wherein there is no
profit. 20 Shall a man make unto himself gods,
which yet are no gods? 21 Therefore, behold, I will
cause them to know, this once will I cause them to
know my hand and my might; and they shall know
that my name is Jehovah.
(Jeremiah 16:19-21) (ASV)

The first Lie

The true name of God’s son has not been faithfully
delivered to this generation of believers. For many
centuries, the name of the Messiah of Scripture has
been rendered "Jesus" in the Bibles and many people
have been hoodwinked into believing the lie that the
son of God’s name is "Jesus". The name "Jesus" is
derived from the Greek language and is not at all the
proper transliteration of Christ’s Hebrew name –
Yehoshua. There are many Yeshuas and Yehoshuas
in the Bible because they are relatively common Biblical
names. Their names were faithfully transliterated to
"Joshua" or "Jehoshua".

Why was the the son of God, who is named
Jehoshua, singled out as the only one called
Jesus?

Just as Roman Emperor Constantine changed the
scriptural seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) into the
first-day "Sun" worship (of Sunday), dispensed with
the scriptural holy days and introduced the pagan
holidays of Christmas and Easter; even the very name
of the Messiah was stripped of its Hebrew roots and
was paganized and Hellenized into the form which is
fashioned after the name of the supreme Greek god
Zeus.

Who is Ioesus?

"Yahshua never heard the name Jesus. That was a
name given to him by the early church many years
after His crucifixion, they wanted to remove any
Jewishness from the new church. They eliminated
His Jewish name (Joshua / Jehoshua) and blended
the name of "Zeus" into the Christian church to make
it comfortable for all those who previously worshipped
the Greek and Roman gods - to become Christians.
Since Zeus was the top god of their experience,
attaching the name Ioesus to Yahshua (Yehoshua)
gave Him top priority in the worship hierarchy."
-Believer or Follower?
The Sound of the Shofar
By Jon Thompson

"The name that American Christians use
for the Messiah is Jesus. This is a derivation
of Iesus which is literally translated from
Greek as 'Hail, Zeus'. Using "SUS" at the end
of the word is related to Zeus. When Constantine
proclaimed Christianity as the state religion
of Rome on his deathbed in 300 AD, he changed
the names of the Roman gods to become names of
Catholic deity and saints. It merged paganism
with Christianity and distorted the Gospel
message. Christ's real name in english would
be "Joshua" (or Jehoshua) - the Messiah."
- Vision Outreach Ministries
KB Gunn & Anamcari

""Je-Sus"; "Je" (Ie) in Greek meaning "hail"
and "Sus" (Zeus) meaning hail Zeus. The Greeks
used the ending –sus in naming many of their
towns to give homage to their main deity Zeus.
Thus, by following modern traditions,
we may actually be praising a Pagan God."
- The Name of the Messiah
Torah Ministries

The Second Lie

Not content with taking Jehovah God’s name out
of the Bible and mutating His son, Jehoshua’s
name into the now, widespread and popular "Jesus",
Satan’s human henchmen now elevated and promoted
this name to be God’s new name by teaching the false
and senseless belief that the son is now the Father.

"The Church of Rome borrowed her doctrine
of the Divinity of Christ from the pagans
and the way they worshipped their pagan gods,
as half human and half god. Their adoration
of Jesus as a man-god was almost identical
to their devotions to the ancient pagan gods."
-Pagan Origin of Partialist Doctrines
By John Claudius Pitrat
Published 1871

"The cult that arose in Babylon and spread its cult
tentacles throughout the world was trinitarian
(Two Babylons, by Alexander Hislop). At first,
this doctrine was merely humanism, man making
himself god. The first humanism trinity of record to
be setup and worshiped as gods, was that of Nimrod,
Simeramus, and Tammuz. These are in the Old
Testament in the Canaanite language identified as
Baal, Ashtoreth, and Tammuz. At the dispersion of
the people at the Tower of Babel, this trinity doctrine
of humanism was spread all over the world. Each
religion of all the pagan religions held two common
traits: 1.) A trinity of gods and; 2.) These were in a
form of human gods."
-Jesus Messieh Fellowship
The Trinity Doctrine Is Pagan
By Cohen G. Reckart, Pastor

The damage has already been done! The whole
Christian world of trinitarians believes that "Jesus
is God, the son". The basis for their religion is
based on two lies created in ancient pagan Rome.

How can it get any worse?

Amen

According to the online Encyclopedia Wikipedia:

Amun (also spelled Amon, Amoun, Amen, and
rarely Imen, Greek Ἄμμων Ammon, and Ἅμμων
Hammon, reconstructed Egyptian Yamānu) was
the name of a deity, in Egyptian mythology, who
gradually rose to become one of the most important
deities in Ancient Egypt, before fading into obscurity.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amun

Yes, the Jesus worshipers pray to their Jesus trinity god
and end their "devout" prayers with the name of another
deity.

Is there any end to the paganism
of the pure Christian beliefs God’s
son brought us?

The over 300 sects of Christendom have many
non-Christian beliefs they accept such as:

• Birthday celebration
• Christmas
• Easter
• Lent
• The "Christian Trinity"
• The Deity of Jesus
• The Nameless Lord
• Saint worship
• The Cross
• Fiery Hell
• Once saved is always saved

Is there a Bible-based religion that follows
the teachings of Christ faithfully without
worthless and unwanted pagan additions?

There is only one organization in the world
that promotes the God who gave His name
to them.

10 "YOU are my witnesses," is the utterance of Jehovah,
"even my servant whom I have chosen, in order that
YOU may know and have faith in me, and that YOU may
understand that I am the same One. Before me there was
no God formed, and after me there continued to be none.
11 I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior."
12 "I myself have told forth and have saved and have
caused [it] to be heard, when there was among YOU no
strange [god]. So YOU are my witnesses," is the utterance
of Jehovah, "and I am God.
(Isaiah 43:10-12) (NWT)

The Ten Commandments  Part III

Commandment: 9

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
(Exodus 20:16) (New American Standard)

What exactly does this mean?

Most people believe that it simply means, “do not lie”.
Actually, there is a lot more to this commandment than
that. Here is a clearer translation:

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. “
(Exodus 20:16) (New International Version)

As we can see here, this commandment
has to do with giving testimony.

What is the difference?

Centuries ago, disputes were heard by a judge just like today.
This commandment forbids offering false testimony in court by
the witnesses or the people who are in dispute.

So what does this commandment have to do with lying in general?

Not much. But this does not mean that lying, in general, is now okay:

“²¹ For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall
remain in it. ²² But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, And
the treacherous shall be rooted out of it.”
(Proverbs 2:21-22) (American Standard Version)

This warning applies to people who wish to do evil.
Most people will agree that most lying is an evil pastime.

Is it always wrong to lie?

This deeply controversial matter can be settled easily with the
proper wisdom. It is not correct to say all lies are wrong.

Example: Before the start of World War II the secret police of
Germany called “The Gestapo” was busy searching for Jews to
deport to the death camps. About seven million Jews were tortured
and executed in the death camps. Many Jews survived because
sympathetic neighbors in Germany and surrounding countries
allowed the Jews to hide in their homes. So when a Gestapo agent
asked the non-Jewish neighbor if there were any Jews hiding in his
home the non-Jewish homeowner would lie and say “no”.

Which would be better in this case? Tell the truth and
turn the Jews over to the Gestapo or lie and protect
the Jewish family from certain death?

Another example: A woman is wearing
a wild, outlandish hair-do and hat.

Which would be better in this case? Tell the truth that
her hair and hat are weird and hurt her feelings or lie
and tell her she looks beautiful?

In both cases, the answer will depend a lot on a person’s
view of the severity of lying. Many people believe that
lying leads to an “eternity in Hell” after death.

Is this true?

“⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-
girl came to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean.
" ⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what
you are talking about." ⁷¹ When he had gone out to the gateway,
another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there,
"This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." ⁷² And again he denied
it with an oath, "I do not know the man." ⁷³ A little later the by-
standers came up and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of
them; for even the way you talk gives you away." ⁷⁴ Then he began
to curse and swear, "I do not know the man!" And immediately a
rooster crowed.”
(Matthew 26:69-74) (New American Standard)

The message here is that Peter deliberately
lied three times about knowing Jesus.

Did he fall from grace?

No. He is indeed in Heaven with Jesus.

The moral of the story is that we can be forgiven
for our lies but does that mean we are allowed to
lie constantly about anything?

Here is what Paul wrote to a congregation whose
members were indulging in many immoralities and
teaching that they would be forgiven indefinitely:

“³ Dearly loved friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you
about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write
about something else, urging you to defend the truth of the Good
News. God gave this unchanging truth once for all time to his holy
people. ⁴ I say this because some godless people have wormed their
way in among you, saying that God's forgiveness allows us to live
immoral lives. The fate of such people was determined long ago,
for they have turned against our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

(Jude 3-4) (New Living Translation)

Many people, in fact, believe that “once saved always saved.”

Is it wise to constantly sin and pray for forgiveness
without trying to stop being immoral?

“⁸ But I will tell you what will happen to cowards and to
everyone who is unfaithful or dirty-minded or who murders
or is sexually immoral or uses witchcraft or worships idols
or tells lies. They will be thrown into that lake of fire and
burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

(Revelation 21:8) (Contemporary English Version)

Unlike what other people believe, we cannot constantly indulge
in immoralities without certain consequences. If we choose to lie,
we must be sure of our motivation. It is not necessarily the act that
will get us into trouble, but what is in our heart when we act.

“To carry on righteousness and judgment is
more preferable to Jehovah than sacrifice.”

(Proverbs 21:3) (New World Translation) -Watchtower.org
 

Commandment: 10

“You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet
your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox
or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
(Exodus 20:17) (New International Version)

While this is the traditional translation for this commandment,
“covet” is not a word that is used much anymore. Here is a
more up-to-date translation:

“Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not
desire thy neighbour's wife, nor his bondman, nor his handmaid,
nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's.”
(Exodus 20:17) (Darby)

Why are we forbidden to have a desire for other people’s belongings?

From the desire can come the impulse to steal the desired items.
That used to be a problem long ago when possessions were in
short supply and so was money. Today people can see something,
such as, a neighbor’s car and go buy one of their own.

Is this a bad thing?

It can be if it puts a strain on the budget to “keep up with the
Jonses”. Even today the commandment has relevance for us.
There is still a possibility of compulsion to steal a neighbor’s
possession or become deep in debt from acquiring too many
possessions.

Since Jehovah made us, He knows our weaknesses as well as what
is good and bad for us. That is why we have this commandment.

The idea here is to try not to be enamored of material possessions,
especially that which belongs to others. The desire for other’s
possessions can lead to the impulse to steal it and that is a more
serious sin.

Therefore, this commandment, just like all of the other ones, is
meant to keep us out of trouble and make life harmonious. It is
a fact that, unfortunately, most of the people of the world ignore
these commandments and contribute to the problems of the world
accordingly. This is only a temporary problem. Soon these
disobedient and troublesome people will be gone just as prophesied
long ago:

“⁹ For evil-doers shall be cut off; But those that wait for Jehovah,
they shall inherit the land. ¹⁰ For yet a little while, and the wicked
shall not be: Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and he
shall not be.”

(Psalm 37:9-10) (ASV)

The Ten Commandments Part II

Commandment 6:

 “You shall not murder”

(Exodus 20:13) (English Standard Version) 

There is a subtle distinction between “killing” and “murder”.

The King James version: “Thou shalt not kill” is sufficiently
vague enough to have caused confusion for centuries. There
are many people who believe that it is a sin to kill anything.
It is not the intent of this commandment to condemn us for
trivialities such as swatting flies, mosquitoes, etc. Taken to
this extreme, the slaughtering of animals, even fish, for food
would be prohibited.

Murder or assassination is a different matter. This refers to
the willful, deliberate and sometimes methodical planning
and then taking of a human life. Taking a human life is not
our right; it belongs solely to Jehovah because we do not
have the ability to give life.

“¹⁹  Meanwhile, Korah had convinced the rest of the Israelites
to rebel against their two leaders. When that happened, the
LORD appeared in all his glory ²⁰ and said to Moses and Aaron,
²¹ "Get away from the rest of the Israelites so I can kill them
right now!"

(Numbers 16:19-21) (Contemporary English Version) 

The Bible has many stories about killing people. When
Jehovah authorized it, his people wiped out whole cities.
When Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land,
Jehovah instructed them to destroy all of the pagan people
who inhabited the land before settling there:

“²⁰ When the people heard the sound of the horns, they
shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of
Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into
the city from every side and captured it. ²¹ They completely
destroyed everything in it--men and women, young and
old, cattle, sheep, donkeys--everything.”
(Joshua 6:20-21) (New Living Translation) 

Death was a last resort but often utilized for the
enforcement of Jehovah’s laws:

“¹² Death is the punishment for murder.”

(Exodus 21:12) (CEV)

People today may believe that it is wrong to execute murderers,
but the Bible shows that Jehovah authorized the death penalty
long ago. In fact, murder was not the only capital crime at the time:

¹⁵  Death is the punishment for attacking your father or
mother. ¹⁶  Death is the punishment for kidnapping. If you
sell the person you kidnapped, or if you are caught with that
person, the penalty is death. ¹⁷  Death is the punishment
for cursing your father or mother.”
(Exodus 21:15,16,17,) (CEV) 

There was a provision for people who accidentally killed someone.
Adam’s son, Cain, was the first murderer in history who was allowed
to seek refuge in a settlement specifically for protection from vengeance.

“¹⁵ And Jehovah said to him, Therefore, whoever slayeth
Cain, it shall be revenged sevenfold. And Jehovah set a mark
on Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. ¹⁶ And Cain
went out from the presence of Jehovah, and dwelt in the land
of Nod, toward the east of Eden.”

(Genesis 4:15-16) (Darby) 

Thus places were set aside for people who accidentally killed
someone and needed to be protected from relatives seeking revenge.
However, if someone tried to seek sanctuary for a non-accidental
killing, the guilty person could be legally taken away and executed:

¹³  But if you did not intend to kill someone, and I, the LORD,
let it happen anyway, you may run for safety to a place that
I have set aside. ¹⁴  If you plan in advance to murder someone,
there's no escape, not even by holding on to my altar. You will
be dragged off and killed.”

(Exodus 21:13-14) (CEV) 

What about self-defense?

Not long after Cain killed his brother Abel, Cain’s great-grandson,
Lamech, killed in self-defense and wrote a poem about the incident:

“²³ Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
you wives of Lamech, hear me out: I killed a man for
wounding me, a young man who attacked me. ²⁴ If Cain is
avenged seven times, for Lamech it's seventy-seven!”

(Genesis 4:23-24) (The Message Bible) 

By researching the Bible, it can be determined that while
premeditated murder is not allowed, there are occasions
where the death sentence is fully justified.

 Commandment Seven:

“You shall not commit adultery.
(Exodus 20:14) New International Version) 

What constitutes adultery?

“²² If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both
the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You
must purge the evil from Israel. ²³ If a man happens to meet
in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her,
²⁴ you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and
stone them to death-the girl because she was in a town
and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated
another man's wife. You must purge the evil from among you.
²⁵ But if out in the country a man happens to meet a girl pledged
to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this
shall die.”

(Deuteronomy 22:22) (NIV) 

What else constitutes adultery?

“²⁷ "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit
adultery.' ²⁸ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a
woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery
with her in his heart.”

(Matthew 5:27,28) (ESV) 

“³¹ It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give
her a certificate of divorce.' ³²  But I say to you that everyone
who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality,
makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced
woman commits adultery.”

(Matthew 5:31-32) (ESV) 

Is adultery a serious matter today?

^{9 "}Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no
share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those
who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers,
adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, ¹⁰ thieves,
greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers--none of
these will have a share in the Kingdom of God.“
(1Corinthians 6:9-10) (NLT) 

The Kingdom of God is within sight now. All of the evils of this
world, the governments of the world, the terrorists, the polluters,
the criminals, all of them will all be wiped out along with all of
the rest of the evil in the world and the survivors will live forever
on a paradise earth subject only to the rule of our God, Jehovah.

Would it not be a great shame to miss out on this wonderful
opportunity to live forever on a paradise earth because of our
rebellion against Jehovah’s laws?

There are a large number of people in the world
who enjoy gross immorality, or do they?

Countless millions of people are sick and dying from sexually
transmitted diseases that could have been avoided by adhering
to Bible moral standards. Many unwanted pregnancies occur daily.

Are the people indulging in immoral practices truly happy?
Is it worth the price they will pay?

 ³² But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment;
whoever does so destroys himself.

(Proverbs 6:32) (NIV)

Commandment Eight:

“Thou shalt not steal.”
(Exodus 20:15) (King James Version) 

Stealing has always been a crime.

What does the Bible say about
some of the penalties for theft?

When Joshua led his people to take the city of Jericho, Jehovah
commanded the people to destroy everything except for valuable
artifacts, which were to go into Jehovah’s treasury:

 “¹⁷ The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the
LORD . Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her
in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we
sent. ¹⁸ But keep away from the devoted things, so that you
will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of
them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to
destruction and bring trouble on it. ¹⁹ All the silver and gold
and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD
and must go into his treasury."

(Joshua 6:17-19) (NIV) 

Unfortunately, there was an individual who thought he could take
for himself a few “souvenirs” and hide them without getting caught:

“¹ But Israel was unfaithful concerning the things set apart
for the LORD. A man named Achan had stolen some of these
things, so the LORD was very angry with the Israelites.”

(Joshua 7:1) (NLT) 

In fact, Achan took many valuable items and hid them in his
tent. He not only disgraced himself but brought the wrath of
Jehovah against the whole colony:

“²⁰ And Achan answered Joshua and said, Indeed I have
sinned against Jehovah the God of Israel, and thus and
thus have I done. ²¹ I saw among the spoils a beautiful
mantle of Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and
a golden bar of fifty shekels weight, and I coveted them
and took them; and behold, they are hid in the earth in the
midst of my tent, and the silver under it. ²² And Joshua sent
messengers, and they ran to the tent, and behold, it was hid
in his tent, and the silver under it.”

(Joshua 7:20-22) (Darby) 

Jehovah was rightfully outraged. He gave specific orders not to
keep anything that belonged to the people who lived in Jericho:

“¹¹ Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have
stolen the things that I commanded to be set apart for me.
And they have not only stolen them; they have also lied
about it and hidden the things among their belongings.“

(Joshua 7:11) (NLT) 

Notice that the work of one man was attributed to the entire
group. In fact, everyone was going to be punished for this
criminal act unless the guilty party was found and dealt with
swiftly.

What was the penalty for this crime?

” ¹⁵ And it shall be, that he that is taken with the devoted
thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath;
because he hath transgressed the covenant of Jehovah,
and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.”
(Joshua 7:15) (ASV) 

After Joshua obtained a confession from Achan, the man’s
family and possessions were rounded up and brought together
in front of the whole group to be destroyed:

“²⁴ Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the
son of Zerah, and the silver, and the mantle, and the bar
of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and
his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had;
and they brought them up into the valley of Achor. ²⁵ And
Joshua said, How hast thou troubled us! Jehovah will trouble
thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they
burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones. ²⁶ And
they raised over him a great heap of stones, [which is there]
to this day. And Jehovah turned from the fierceness of his
anger. Therefore the name of that place was called, The
Valley of Achor, to this day.”
(Joshua 7:24-26) (Darby) 

Thus Achan paid with his life and it cost him his family’s lives.
All of his possessions were burned and buried as a warning to
anyone who would dare to rebel against Jehovah. It was a very
long time before any of the witnesses to this event tried to attempt
the same act of rebellion.

Is it acceptable to put a common thief to death?

Centuries before now, Moses was given the authority to do just that:

“² "If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so
that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his
account.”
(Exodus 22:2) (New American Standard Bible) 

Here is another example where the criminal can be legally killed
without regard for the commandment: “You shall not murder”.
Theft was so reprehensible that the Bible allowed for killing a thief
caught in the act! At present, it is a fact that thieves do get hurt or
killed sometimes while stealing and usually the authorities attempt
to punish their victims, as if they committed a crime.  There is a
lot to be said sometimes for the circumstances that prompts the
criminal to steal. Perhaps he can be rehabilitated from a life of crime.
But the message here is that crime is not an option. The Bible has
condemned theft to the extent that death is a suitable punishment.
Jehovah never intended for us to profit by stealing from helpless victims.

“¹ My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my
commands in your heart, ² for they will prolong your
life many years and bring you prosperity.”

(Proverbs 3:1-2) (NIV) 

“²¹ My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do
not let them out of your sight; ²² they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.”
(Proverbs 2:21-22) (NIV) 

The Ten Commandments Part I

Commandment 1:

“You shall have no other gods before me.”
(Exodus 20:3) (New International Version)

This Commandment was given to Moses after
he led the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity.

Were false religions widespread at that time?

Many cultures such as the Egyptians worshiped numerous false
gods. In fact, most of the people living anywhere on the earth
back then worshiped many false gods. Ironically, the Pharaoh
of Egypt at the time had never even heard of the real God, Jehovah!

“¹ And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said unto
Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Let my
people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the
wilderness. ² And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, that I
should hearken unto his voice to let Israel go? I know
not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”

(Exodus 5:1-2) (American Standard Version)

Jehovah revealed himself to the people of Egypt and his chosen
people to lead them out of slavery. The book of Exodus describes
numerous miracles designed to reveal Jehovah’s power.

“¹⁷ Thus saith Jehovah, In this thou shalt know that I am
Jehovah: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my
hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall
be turned to blood. ¹⁸ And the fish that are in the river shall
die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall
loathe to drink water from the river.”

(Exodus 7:17-18) (ASV)

Jehovah brought upon the Egyptians ten different
plagues, in all, to demonstrate His power.

Then what? Did the demonstration of His power long
ago bring about any respect for Jehovah today?

Not much! Today, most of the world prefers to ignore
Jehovah and worship lesser gods, or none at all.

Commandment 2:

⁴ Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image,
nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above,
or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water
under the earth.

⁵ Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor
serve them, for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children,
upon the third and upon the fourth generation of
them that hate me,

⁶ and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of
them that love me and keep my commandments.
 (Exodus 20:4) (ASV) 

The second Commandment should be the easiest one for
Christians to follow. The first one should be easy too. And
yet, these two Commandments are routinely broken, and
most of the time the “Christian” people who are breaking
them usually do not even realize it!

Why is the second commandment easy to follow?

Because people should know what idols are when they see them.
In order to worship idols it would be necessary to buy or make them.
The Bible has many stories about idol worship and the disastrous
consequences that befell the people who deliberately worshiped idols,
yet today, Christian people see nothing wrong with Christmas trees,
crosses and crucifixes; even statues of saints!

 Commandment 3:

⁷ Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God
in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that
taketh his name in vain.

(Exodus 20:7) (NIV)

Most people do not understand exactly what this Commandment
means. Another translation includes a footnote:

⁷ Do not misuse my name.  I am the LORD your God, and I
will punish anyone who misuses my name.
(Exodus 20:7) (Contemporary English Version)

Footnotes

1.      20.7 misuse my name: Probably includes breaking promises,
telling lies after swearing to tell the truth, using the LORD's
name as a curse word or a magic formula, and trying to control
the LORD by using his name.

The footnote helps to make the Commandment even clearer now.
The main source of confusion stems from the basic problem that
the ministers of Christendom do not teach their congregations that
God has a name. Since people are generally unaware that God
has a name, it seems like the word “God” or “Lord” is a sacred
word. Therefore, people naturally think that swear words involving
“God” or “Lord” are prohibited. Many people use “swear words”
every day.

What consequence is there to using them? 

“⁵ Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a
man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of
unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of
hosts. ⁶ Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a
live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from
off the altar: ⁷ and he touched my mouth with it, and said, Lo,
this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and
thy sin forgiven. ⁸ And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,
Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here
am I; send me.”

(Isaiah 6:5-8) (American Standard Version)

Isaiah was clearly aware that he and his friends sometimes say things
that are unacceptable. He then felt unworthy of speaking directly to
Jehovah until his mouth was symbolically cleansed.

Do the things we say really cause us to be literally defiled as a person?

In fact, Christ once told a group of Pharisees and scribes:

“Not what enters into his mouth is what defiles a man; but it
is what proceeds out of his mouth that defiles a man.”

(Matthew 15:11) (NIV)

From this we can conclude that we do indeed
defile ourselves when we use profanity.

What, then, really constitutes misusing God’s name?

1.      Swearing by Jehovah’s sacred name that a lie is the truth.

2.      Cursing Jehovah, Himself.

3.      Using Jehovah’s name in a foul or senseless way.

Commandment 4:

“⁸ Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six
days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; ¹⁰ but the
seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it
thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor
thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant,
nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
¹¹ for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the
sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day:
wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath day, and
hallowed it.”
(Exodus 20:8-11) (ASV) 

The Holiday Called Halloween

On October 31, people will celebrate a fun holiday
that is a traditional favorite around the world. Before
that day arrives Christian people should take a fresh
look at the holiday and ask themselves, "should we
participate in Halloween festivities?"

What do reputable encyclopedias have to say?

According to Wikipedia online:

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween

As we can see from the article, there are many ways to
think about and celebrate October 31 as a holiday.

But the question is, is it a good idea?

How pagan is the origin of the holiday?

According to Encyclopedia Encarta online:

"Halloween, holiday observed on the evening of October
31 in most areas of North America and in some areas of
Western Europe. The holiday is symbolically associated
with death and the supernatural. Halloween falls on the
eve of All Saints’ Day, also known as Allhallows or
Hallowmas, a holy day in the Roman Catholic and Anglican
churches. Originally a pagan festival of the dead, All
Saints’ Day was established by the Catholic Church in the
9th century to honor Christian saints. All Souls’ Day, a holy
day established by the Catholic Church in the 10th century,
is also closely linked to Halloween. All Souls’ Day, on
November 2, is observed to help purify the spirits of the
dead.

Halloween is historically related to similar folk holidays
celebrated in other countries. The Day of the Dead, a
Mexican holiday that coincides with All Souls’ Day, blends
Roman Catholic and Native American traditions about the
souls of the dead. On the Day of the Dead, Mexicans
decorate their homes with playful imagery of animated
human skeletons, leave offerings of food for wandering
spirits, and tend the graves of their deceased relatives."

Here we see definite pagan origins.

Is there anything else we should know?

"The most important of these holidays to influence later
Halloween customs was Samhain, a holiday observed by
the ancient Celts, a tribal people who inhabited most of
Western and Central Europe in the first millennium bc.
Among the Celts, Samhain marked the end of one year
and the beginning of the next. It was one of four Celtic
holidays linked to important transitions in the annual
cycle of seasons.

Samhain began at sundown on October 31 and extended
into the following day. According to the Celtic pagan
religion, known as Druidism, the spirits of those who
had died in the preceding year roamed the earth on
Samhain evening. The Celts sought to ward off these
spirits with offerings of food and drink. The Celts also
built bonfires at sacred hilltop sites and performed
rituals, often involving human and animal
sacrifices, to honor Druid deities."

From: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572079/Halloween.html

Is this a popular day for non-Christians as well?

"Halloween is a day that witches celebrate above all
other days. It is a festival of the dead, and represents
the "end and the beginning of the witches year. It
marks the beginning of the death and destruction
associated with winter. At this time the power of the
underworld is unleashed, and spirits are supposedly
freed to roam about the earth; it is considered the
best time to contact spirits"
-Halloween and Satanism, P. Phillips and J.H. Robie, 1987, p.146

"There is another religious group which is equally
serious about its Halloween celebrations: the Satanists.
Halloween to them is a more sinister and direct celebration
of death and Satan; they celebrate [it] as one of his two
highest holy days. At Halloween the sacrifices of some of
these satanic cults are unspeakably vicious and brutal"
-Like Lambs To The Slaughter, Johanna Michaelsen, 1989, p.190

The celebration of Halloween is not mentioned in the
entire Bible. There are other things that are mentioned
that apply to people who wish to adhere to Bible principles:

17 The Lord has said, "So come out from among them.
Do not be joined to them. Touch nothing that is sinful.
And I will receive you.
(2Corinthians 6:17) (New Living Translation)

In spite of these scriptures written in the Bible, Christians
will participate in the usual traditions involving parties,
costumes, Trick-or-Treat, pranks and vandalism.

Why do so many people in the world embrace
such obviously non-Christian customs?

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of
difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud,
arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal,
not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers
of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of
godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
(2Timothy 3:1-5) (ESV)

Is celebrating a harmless holiday such a bad thing for Christians?

"Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those
who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God--or rather
are known by God--how is it that you are turning back to those
weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by
them all over again? You are observing special days and months
and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted
my efforts on you. "
(Galatians 4:8-11) (NIV)

What would be the wise course of action?

"Listen to this carefully. I'm warning you."
(Mark 3:28) (MSG)

"The eyes of Jehovah are toward the righteous,
And his ears are open unto their cry. The face
of Jehovah is against them that do evil, To cut
off the remembrance of them from the earth."
(Psalm 34:15,16) (American Standard Version)

"For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah..."
(Proverbs 5:21) (ASV)

Don't say, "I didn't know it!" God can read your mind.
He watches each of us and knows our thoughts.
And God will pay us back for what we do.
(Proverbs 24:12) (Contemporary English Version)

What is the wisdom in ignoring
non-Christian festivities?

27 Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell
in the land forever. 28 For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be
protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked
will be cut off; 29 the righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous
man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.
(Psalms 37:27-30) (NIV)