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Name: The True Path
Interests: 13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
(Matthew 7:13-14) (NIV) Expertise: 5 And God did not spare the ancient world--except for Noah and his family of seven. Noah warned the world of God's righteous judgment. Then God destroyed the whole world of ungodly people with a vast flood.
(2Peter 2:5) (New Living Translation)
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1/8/2007
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| 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) 
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| 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) 
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| 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) 
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| 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) Footnotes1. 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) This Commandment seems like an easy one to keep because it is an order to get some rest. How thoughtful and kind of Jehovah to give us this commandment!
Do people abide by it today? Not much. Is that important? It used to be. According to Moses who wrote Exodus Chapter 35 in the Bible: “1 And Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said unto them, These are the words which Jehovah hath commanded, that ye should do them. 2 Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of solemn rest to Jehovah: whosoever doeth any work therein shall be put to death. 3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.” (Exodus 35:1-3) (American Standard Version) This was a severely serious matter then. What about today? Today it is common for people to work continuously at two or even three jobs. Many people do not know what a complete day of rest from work is. People are not put to death for working on the Sabbath day, but we can’t help noticing that overwork contributes to the mortality rate anyway. So what is the status of this particular Commandment? It is generally understood that this Commandment is not in full force anymore, although it is obviously for our benefit. This is what Christ, himself, said about summarizing the Commandments:
36 "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?" 37 Jesus replied, " `You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39A second is equally important: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40) (NIV) Does this mean that we no longer have to abide by this or any other commandment anymore? Paul offers this perspective: “9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1Corinthians 6:9-10) (New International Version) With this in mind, the Ten Commandments may not be in full force anymore due to the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, but they still serve as an excellent guideline for us. If not for them, what would be our guide? Commandment 5: 12 Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee. (Exodus 20:12) (ASV)
Parents, as a general rule, represent a unit of authority, just like governmental leaders. The purpose in having people in authority is to have some kind of order and leadership. It may be difficult at times to love or respect parents but we must try our best since it is Jehovah’s will. In Deuteronomy is a little-known scripture that emphasizes how important it was thousands of years ago to abide by this commandment: 18 "If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, 20 and they shall say to the elders of his city, 'This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.' 21 Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.” (Deut 21:18-21) (English Standard Version)
Was this harsh treatment necessary? What we must keep in mind is that back then family members had to “pull their own weight” in order for the daily work to get done. It is not fair for everybody in the family to work hard on the farm or ranch while one young member of the family decides to “take it easy”. This scripture served as a warning to young ones that the parents had the right to present rebellious youngsters to the elders for judgment, and if the elders agreed that the youth was indeed stubborn and lazy he would suffer the consequences. It is doubtful that this drastic action was taken very often. Just having this rule in force would tend to make the children of Israel try to grow up into hard-working and responsible adults. Contrast that with the situation today. It is not a capital offense for youths to be rebellious, lazy, immoral, even drug-users. Because of that, we have a serious problem today with teen-age gangs, pregnancy and crime. This has been a problem for long time in many cultures by the time Jesus walked the earth and ever since: “4 For instance, God says, `Honor your father and mother,' and `Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.' 5 But you say, `You don't need to honor your parents by caring for their needs if you give the money to God instead.' 6 And so, by your own tradition, you nullify the direct commandment of God. (Matthew 15:4-6) (New Living Translation) What does the Bible say about our behavior toward those who exert authority over all of us? Is it acceptable to be rebellious to authority? Is it acceptable to protest abuses? The Apostle Paul wrote: “1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. (Romans 13:1-2) (NIV) Our earthly kings and other assorted politicians are the authorities that we must obey now. Good or bad, they serve a purpose. We are not allowed to rebel against the authorities, even if the laws and society’s opinions allow it. BUT: do we obey the laws our leaders enact if they conflict with Jehovah’s laws? No! We try our best to be good citizens and obey the laws as well as we can but - if the laws happen to oppose God’s laws then we must obey God’s laws. This means that Jehovah is the supreme authority and earthly governments are under Him. “ 3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. (1Corinthians 11:3) (NIV)
While the ten commandments are not being followed much as Bible law anymore, they do serve as a guide for behavior in a world where most of our problems exist because people do not seem to like to do things that are good for them. Our Heavenly Father, Jehovah, made us and knows what is best for us. The problems we have tend to stem from our own rebellious behavior.
“17 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go. 18 "If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” (Isaiah 48:17-18) (NIV) Is it not ironic that Jehovah lovingly tells us what to do in order to live peacefully and contentedly and when we refuse to follow His teachings we hurt ourselves and then wonder why? 
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| 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: The term Halloween, originally spelled Hallowe’en, is shortened from All Hallows’ Eve (both even and eve are abbreviations of evening, but Halloween gets its n from even) as it is the eve of "All Hallows’ Day",[10] which is now also known as All Saints’ Day. It was a day of religious festivities in various northern European pagan traditions,[11] until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints’ Day from May 13 (which had itself been the date of a pagan holiday, the Feast of the Lemures) to November 1. In the 9th century, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset, in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although All Saints’ Day is now considered to occur one day after Halloween, the two holidays were, at that time, celebrated on the same day. From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HalloweenAs 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)27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27) (English Standard Version) 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) "Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out." (1Corinthians 7:31) (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) 
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