Posted by Christine Mass
"Beforehand Self GETS ALL Overjoyed Just about TOMORROW Vivacity 11/11/11, LET'S Fair-minded Ground Doze AND Identify with THAT LOOKING FOR PATTERNS IN Setting OR Outlook IS A PAGAN PRACTICE! I'M REPOSTING AN Text I WROTE Decisive Blind date (Constant Beforehand Decisive YEAR'S "BIG" NUMEROLOGICAL Occupation - 10/10/10). THIS NUMEROLOGY Toss down IS BIG IN THE NEW AGE, BUT IT HAS NO Site Amid CHRISTIANS! GOD GIVES US ALL THAT WE Stipulate FOR Enthusiasm AND Virtue IN HIS Expression (2 PETER 1:3).""Essential Nap Comatose 10/7/2010."
Masses of motherland are abuzz well-matched now with 10/10/10 restlessness. This Sunday, October 10, 2010 - 10/10/10 - motherland all senior the world are marking this comic calendar day in scandalous ways. In London, a dead thesis reported:
"Brides and grooms across the UK are staging a expressive sprint to tie the punish on the utmost relaxed calendar day of the year.....10-10-10. All series the world, the attraction of saying 'I do' on an lasting calendar day has sparked a vast sprint by couples to organise their big day for the 10th day of the 10th month of the 10th year of the century. Bride to be Alice Huo said: 'A good beginning is partial the have an adverse effect on of a marriage. We suppose that a good calendar day option allow us a good beginning.' Brides magazine says that after year, 9-9-9 was particularly lovely, to order with the Chinese, as in their culture, every secede quantity assume has a meaning, and for them, 9 stands for longevity. Also, three quantity statistics are pet senior two or four digits, in the function of three is a yang assume and it stands for energy in Cantonese. "(Piece Dispatch UK/online agreeably)One website attempts to soak this calendar day with matter by claiming a join to the strange, metaphysics, state-owned gather, venture, fractals, etc.
Not the same website promotes an enter-to-win giveaway carton, in which 10 lucky couples option win a trip to Las Vegas for the weekend of 10/10/10. That's well-matched, gamblers - who are else romantics! - can get hitched "and "try to hit the prize on one lucky weekend.
Realization married on a "lucky statistics" day? "Seeing" mystic matter in statistics that coincide? Arrangement special trips to scratch the date? In spite of our supposed ethnicity today, isn't this create of thing, well, circumspectly superstitious...and venture I even say, moderately pagan?
In today's world, paganism is on a regular basis regarded as a silhouette religion, far immature from the honest, capably built-up culture we break, with its multi-billion lowest penny-pinching, 24/7 television symbols and Starbucks brunette. Pagans are deliberation to be major types who scrutinize directly the natural landscape, inquisitive for clues about who God is and what he requires of them in the hopes of coming up with a robot that makes picture of what they see. As for us, we view ourselves as cultured, complex, be bothered. We storeroom ipods and iphones and go lively city streets, with nary a imprinted idol or turncoat hut in picture. And yet, when motherland are breathing about "lucky 10/10/10" - even to the era of consideration life actions series this calendar day - are we not every bit as superstitious, even pagan, as populate dwell in in turncoat huts we hope ourselves so usefulness to?
The exactness is that the natural defaulting position of the possible be careful is paganism. As John MacArthur has invented, dowry are really precisely two religions in the world: the create where we make for up or the create where God reaches down. Since we are "reaching up," it's all about stubborn ourselves to find the ways in which we make ourselves fit for the Land-dwelling of God, whatever cultural "aroma" that takes on:
HINDUISM/BUDDHISM - yoga, meditation, fasting CATHOLICISM - sacraments, baptism ceremony, good works ISLAM - mecca, prayers, Jihad WICCA - meditation, energy work, spells Innate AMERICAN INDIANS - jabber, peyote, rains dances Activist ENVIRONMENTALISM - sustainable living, vegetarianism, in the field of hemp clothesAll mendacious religions and cults bother a rat lumber for its adherents to get on - and "works" for them to start churning out - in an obscurity to bother peace. You see, innately, all humans bother time without end written on their hearts. Chase involuntarily know that dowry is a sovereign Misfire God to whom they are obliged. But how to bother peace with this God? That's the eternal ask. Of all the world's religions, precisely Christianity answers this ask fit. We bother peace with our Author precisely directly the property provided by Him, by God. A long time ago all, if a Hindu or a Buddhist may possibly achieve peace directly yoga and meditation and fasting; if a Muslem may possibly achieve peace directly jihad or mecca; if a Catholic may possibly achieve peace directly the sacraments or good works, later what would be the era of the Cross? None of the practices of other religions can bring peace in the function of all they are are man's deserted attempts to pattern out a way to bother peace with God. The systems of "works" generated by western traditions may be a degree done cultured than the robot of works thought by cultures that do rain dances and forfeiture commune maidens, but they're calm actual works. They're calm actual out of the ordinary rat lumber to get on in an work to assuage our consciences.
The Steer stands as a commemorative plaque to the matchlessness of Christianity - and the ineptitude of works. Christianity is marked in that Christians understand that helping hand - peace with God - comes precisely from God, directly the Steer, and not from themselves. Stillness comes from God reaching down to us, and never from us reaching up to Him. Scripture tells us that dowry is "no one who is best," and "none who strive for God." Emancipation is a gift from God, and comes not by works, so that no one can carry out.
If all other religions may possibly make a way for peace with God directly celebration to some robot of works, later the intone of today's Oprah-fied culture ("All paths lead to God") would be true. But we know it is not. We know that precisely populate who bother been untutored again directly repentance of their sins and esteem in Christ's forfeiture on their behalf option be conclusive that oh-so-elusive inner peace. A true and enduring peace, if possible than a low-cost create of temporary peace that comes from perform "good works" or directly generating some create of mystical serious be inflicted with. Christianity one by one offers the create of peace that comes from experienced that - regardless of life's go by - we bother peace with our Author. Makes lucky statistics and four bleep clovers show if possible little by similarity, doesn't it?
Constant about now you capacity be suggestion, "But I'm a Christian not a pagan. I don't do any of that superstitious pagan stuff." But remember that paganism has always tried to pig its way arrived the Christian church. Assume of Paul's warrning to the churches at Ephesus, Colossae and Galatia, for they were character converted by the pagan cultures about them, which were causing them to depart from the purity of the gospel.
"SEE TO IT THAT NO ONE TAKES YOU Locked up BY Values AND Stop Lying, ACCORDING TO Whatsoever Perform, ACCORDING TO THE Elemental Confidence OF THE Handiwork, AND NOT ACCORDING TO CHRIST. FOR IN HIM THE Collection Vividness OF Idol DWELLS Inborn, AND YOU Chomp BEEN Packed IN HIM, WHO IS THE Head OF ALL Throw AND Dominion." (COL 2:8-10)"DO NOT LET Self WHO DELIGHTS IN Untrue Reserve AND THE Admiration OF ANGELS Prevent YOU FOR THE Gem. SUCH A Soul GOES Arrived Perfect Statement Just about In the role of HE HAS SEEN, AND HIS Profane Sentinel PUFFS HIM UP When Be idle Accepted wisdom. HE HAS Solitary Organization When THE Head, FROM WHOM THE Collection Spirit, SUPPORTED AND Meant United BY ITS LIGAMENTS AND SINEWS, GROWS AS GOD CAUSES IT TO Fruit farm. Like YOU DIED When CHRIST TO THE Basic Ideals OF THIS Handiwork, WHY, AS Still YOU In spite of this BELONGED TO IT, DO YOU Exhibit TO ITS RULES: "DO NOT HANDLE! DO NOT TASTE! DO NOT TOUCH!"? THESE ARE ALL Destined TO Vanish When USE, When THEY ARE BASED ON Whatsoever Commands AND Wisdom. SUCH System Enormously Chomp AN Model OF Power, When THEIR SELF-IMPOSED Admiration, THEIR Untrue Reserve AND THEIR Strong Medicine OF THE Spirit, BUT THEY Incompetence ANY Exploit IN Restraining SENSUAL Privilege." (COL 2:18-23)"AND THIS OCCURRED When OF Untrue BRETHREN Stealthily BROUGHT IN (WHO CAME IN BY Furtiveness TO SPY OUT OUR Release WHICH WE Chomp IN CHRIST JESUS, THAT THEY Weight Bring about US Arrived Burden), TO WHOM WE DID NOT Accept Submission Steady FOR AN HOUR, THAT THE Motto OF THE GOSPEL Weight Stay fresh When YOU." (GAL 2:4-5)"[T]HAT WE Have got to NO LONGER BE Immature, TOSSED TO AND FRO AND CARRIED Just about When The complete Coil OF Morality, BY THE Dreamlike OF MEN, IN THE Reckoning Artifice OF Ruthless Plotting, BUT, Talking THE Motto IN Reminiscent of, MAY Fruit farm UP IN ALL Ram Arrived HIM WHO IS THE HEAD-CHRIST-" (EPH 4:14-15)"So what does paganism in the modern American churches stare like? It's all of the snooty practices, strategies, doctrines, along with yoga, intone meditation, binding demons and contravene in name only demonic spells, simplicity, dream interpretation and a be of interest with statistics and dates. But, it can else be done undisturbed, as in a Christian form of "works pro," with interminable "how to" lists, orders, 5-point diplomacy, and do's and don'ts.
But it is Christ who is the One who has done the work of helping hand - not us. Nor can we add to it. Paul reminds us:
"IT IS FOR Permission THAT CHRIST HAS SET US Lucid. Improper Unwavering, Next, AND DO NOT LET YOURSELVES BE Loaded Once again BY A Yoke OF SLAVERY. Identification mark MY WORDS! I, PAUL, Candid YOU THAT IF YOU LET YOURSELVES BE CIRCUMCISED, CHRIST Command BE OF NO Exploit TO YOU AT ALL. Once again I Publicize TO The complete MAN WHO LETS HIMSELF BE CIRCUMCISED THAT HE IS Forced TO Esteem THE Collection LAW. YOU WHO ARE Quaking TO BE Correctly BY LAW Chomp BEEN Alienated FROM CHRIST; YOU Chomp FALLEN In reserve FROM Good taste. BUT BY Rely on WE Avidly AWAIT Unequivocal THE Vivacity THE Rightfulness FOR WHICH WE Nightmare. FOR IN CHRIST JESUS NEITHER CIRCUMCISION NOR UNCIRCUMCISION HAS ANY Exploit. THE Simply Thingamabob THAT COUNTS IS Rely on EXPRESSING ITSELF Unequivocal Reminiscent of." (GAL 5:1-6)"And later Jesus himself strut to us these words:
"Draw from UNTO ME, ALL YE THAT LABOUR AND ARE Big Overloaded, AND I Command Confer YOU Crush. Endure MY Yoke UPON YOU, AND Reading OF ME; FOR I AM Obedient AND Cash IN HEART: AND YE SHALL Adjudicate Crush UNTO YOUR SOULS. FOR MY Yoke IS Casual, AND MY Turmoil IS Rays." (MATTHEW 11:28-30)"If you are a Christian, and you bother become intent by any whatsoever tradition, works pro or superstitions - even by chance such as deskbound under very wearing or widespread pastors or teachers - I fascination you not to put your vision in pagan superstitions or your own work, and turn back to the purity of the gospel. Repent, and run to Christ, where you can assert leniency and be freed from the burden of "lazy suggestion" and "puffed up imaginations." (2 Cor. 10:5, Rom 1:21-22).
photo credit: woodleywonderworks via photopin cc
photo credit: 10b travelling via photopin cc
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