Loveisrael.org Team created terrific tools for anyone to participate in the Passover season. As I write this, we are in the middle of the Unleavened Bread part of Passover feast.
Easter, or what many call Resurrection Day, or to stay within the Passover feast series of events, the end of the feast is the priests waving a handful of barley, thanking God for His harvest, which is called "First Fruits." Spiritually, we are the Lord Jesus' harvest to eternal life, after Jesus paid the price for our sin and redeemed us from sin and death.
He was the first to rise from the dead, and He will raise us too if we put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Passover Lamb. Baruch does a masterful job of showing the heart and intent of "trying" to keep the biblical Old Testament festivals. However, as non Jewish church going Christians, we need to know the Jewish context of scripture without trying to "keep" the law. We are to be led by the Holy Spirit. Understanding all the Biblical feasts and how they are linked to our Lord is key to good Bible Study.
Here is the link for the tools. https://biblestudycompany.com/laravel-filemanager/files/121/Ideas_to_Keep_the_Passover_02.pdf
If you would like to have a passover meal as Jewish people do, Loveisrael.org created a booklet. https://biblestudycompany.com/laravel-filemanager/files/121/Passover-Booklet-2025-PRINT-1.pdf
Passover for kids resource: https://biblestudycompany.com/laravel-filemanager/files/121/Passover-Section-Two_for_kids.pdf
Here are the dates from LoveIsrael.org for Passover 2025
Festival DATES
PASSOVER: Nisan 14 (sunset Fri, April 11 to sunset Sat, April 12)
UNLEAVENED BREAD: Nisan 15-21 (after sunset Sat, April 12 to sunset on Sat, April 19)
FIRST FRUITS: Day after weekly Sabbath* (begins after sunset Sat, April 19 to sunset on Sun, April 20)
*according to Leviticus 23:15-16
We wrote an article on the history of Easter and whether it has pagan origins. It discusses the history of "Easter." That article is here, and you can read it if you like.
God destroyed Egypt (the metaphor for the world) and rescued His people that were in bondage and created a Nation from slaves (as we are in sin and death Eph 2:1-4), and redeemed the Children of Israel and sent them to be focused on Him in a harsh wilderness that He sustained them supernaturally. The purpose of the wilderness is to learn to depend on God, and God used circumstances to grow their faith if they responded correctly to God. Exodus shows that they did not respond well, similar to what happened in Eden with Adam and Eve. Dr. Baruch told me, "Exodus is a picture of our Christian walk as well." Redeemed means to rescue by paying a price.
The primary focus of Passover is the blood from the lamb on the doorposts. The primary focus of the cross is the Lamb of God, Who is God, who went and shed His blood on the cross for our sins, like the lamb in Exodus 12 showed. Loveisrael's material will help put you in the moment with those who lived the moments with your family by reading the scriptures. Here is a picture of how they applied the blood as commanded to avoid the Destroying Angel. They believed in God. They had a good start, leaving Egypt and believing in God's word! We all do when we first get saved, but life's hardships can either be used to grow our faith in the Lord by worshipping Him or choosing to rebel. Let's focus on obeying and worshipping instead, and let Him build our faith in His word. (Deut 8, Hebrews 3)
The main plan of God is this:
The Lord Jesus’s blood on the cross AND resurrection (power over life and death) paid for our trespasses (sins) against God, instead of the continual sacrifices that the Jewish people endured, which were looking forward to the Messiah coming. He made a propitiation for our sins. A clean slate, once and for all, sacrifice as an offering to God, because He is the only Human (100% God and 100% man) left in the universe without sin. That was the point of the discussion with Nicodemus in John 3. We need a new nature as sinful creatures. Thus, we need to be born again by the Holy Spirit of God (Eph 2). As predicted, Christ came as the King rode on the donkey into Jerusalem (Zachariah 9.9). We can make Him king over our lives and hearts. (Romans 12:1-2)
HE CONQUERED SIN AND DEATH AND IS RISEN. HE IS FIRST FRUITS!!! All to rescue us by doing God's will. What Adam did not do. Glory to God!
If you need God's grace and mercy this Easter and Passover season, reach out to the Lord Jesus Christ, put all your sins on Him by faith, and ask Him to save you. Ask Him to forgive you, and He will. All of your past sins, present, and into the future! Our God will then seal you with His Holy Spirit and cause you to be born again to Him. Read the chapter in Ephesians 2 to see the plan of God. If you are unfamiliar with prayer, no worries; we have suggested a prayer. A prayer to God will not save you, but a heart reaching out in faith will, by His grace and mercy. Put your complete trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is the prayer.
https://biblestudycompany.com/blog/article/81
Blessings to you and your family for this sacred time of year. Let us know if you came to Christ in the comments or at info@biblestudycompany.com
"Lord, please comfort those dealing with losses, sickness, and loneliness, and please encourage those not born again to respond to your invitation this Resurrection Day.
We thank Loveisrael.org and their teams for these superb materials.
Enjoy! Remember to share the Gospel, the good news according to God's will that Jesus Christ came to redeem us from sin and death. We are grateful to the Lord!!!
See full post & comments
Ric Joyner of Biblestudycompany.com is not affiliated with Rick Joyner of Morningstar Mn. There is a significant age difference, and Rick is older than me if you are looking us up on line.
We do not agree with his theological views, which fall into the hyper-Pentecostal/charismatic camp. If you have questions on our views, don't hesitate to get in touch with us info@biblestudycompany.com. We believe in the Gifts of the Spirit from Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. We believe God still heals, but don't believe in "healers." We believe there is a difference between biblical tongues (actual languages) and modern tongues from around Azusa Street in @1906. Biblical tongues are supernatural utterances according to Acts 2. We want to pray effective prayers in our native language to know what we are praying and seek to pray according to God's will.
Rick Joyner is part of a movement called the NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION, and you can click the link to learn more about this part of Christianity.
If anyone is born again, all believers have the Holy Spirit. We believe in yielding to the Holy Spirit to accomplish God's will rather than our will and desires, and by yielding to His will, we advance God's agenda. We strive to submit to God to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit to accomplish God's will in His word.
Here is my full bio. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricjoyner/
I found Rick Joyner's bio.
Folks, our latest podcast, Matthew 6:9, is the guideline the Lord gave the Apostles on praying and the hearers on the Mt of Beatitudes. We created a pdf for this Bible Study in Matthew, which is located here. https://biblestudycompany.com/laravel-filemanager/files/121/Prayer_outline.pdf
We recommend going for a walk or in your time with the Lord to work through the outline, which teaches you how to pray for advancing God's Will in our lives and those we need to pray for their needs.
For the audio, it is here: https://biblestudycompany.simplecast.com/episodes/matthew-6-part-2
See full post & comments
The purpose of this article is to prove that Easter cannot be traced back to pagan roots. Why is this important? The lengthy article discusses those facts.
If we are to be biblically sound, we need to have correct context, and history must be accurate. Here is a summary statement upfront. Passover week is a Jewish holiday given to the people of Israel as a sacred time of remembrance. Christians in the Western world typically only celebrate the day of the Resurrection. However, that day may not align with Passover, as it did in 2025. By not understanding the Jewish context of scripture, people will be robbed of rich truths. We don't want to miss these.
What are they robbing themselves of? They are robbing themselves of the incredible richness of the Passover, the types and shadows of the Lord Jesus Christ's sacrifice for the Jewish people and humanity. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the final end of the passover and the purpose of the Passover, should be our focus. Dr. Baruch of Loveisrael.org and his project coordinator, Aaron Treesh, have created excellent tools for Christians who are not Jewish to learn about Passover from a scriptural perspective. https://biblestudycompany.com/laravel-filemanager/files/121/Ideas_to_Keep_the_Passover_02.pdf,
Well, Ric, then why did you write this article? Because there is much hype around saying Easter is pagan. I heard this for a long time, but never researched it myself. When I did, I was surprised that it was not. Now, if you don't like my research, I have many people who are listed as references. I want to ensure that I am accurate when communicating with others. I will state this upfront and confidently, there is no linkage to pagan holidays, or the word Easter is a god of some kind. The article shows my search. This is a time to share the Gospel.
Warning: BSC does not advocate for the celebration of Easter over Passover. We understand that Easter, or as some prefer to call it, Resurrection Day, is part of the Passover week celebration, which will be explained in the article. We believe that everyone should conduct their research. That helps in our Bible study. Being a good researcher is crucial to drawing accurate conclusions. We intend only to accept narratives that we have researched ourselves, and our purpose is never to offend. However, going against established narratives to uncover the truth can lead to offenses. We apologize in advance.
Not long ago, I was sitting with someone I respect at the Christian church we were attending. He said, “Easter is pagan." I inquired as to how he arrived at that knowledge, and he mentioned something about the goddess Ishtar and Easter being the same. I said Easter was a Germanic word for spring, so how could it be Ishtar?
Biblical History scholar Wes Huff shows clearly that Easter does not have pagan roots. https://youtu.be/q31k28_rdTg?si=uqNyQHH5ruFBbbqR
It's commonly asserted that many of our modern Easter traditions — including the name of the celebration itself — have pagan origins. This idea, although popular on the internet and in popular shows, when actually dug into (much like the accusation around the pagan origins of Christmas) really start to fall apart. "Why Christmas isn't pagan" -
• Christmas isn't pagan and here's why Time stamps: 0:00 - Intro 0:29 - Origins of the name (Ishtar and Ostara) 4:44 - The Easter bunny 7:09 - Easter eggs
No, Easter is not pagan or has pagan roots. "Well, Ric, when I searched on Google for the origins of Easter, it showed that it had pagan roots." "Ah, the Internet," I said with a frustrated sigh. To be correct, we must dig deeper as researchers. Easter is not from a pagan goddess. Ishtar was a Babylonian goddess who "SOUNDS LIKE" Easter; however, there is no link in etymology (origin of words), as the article below will show.[1]
Here is a humorous video from Lutheran Satire on this topic.
This article explains the background of Easter from Baylor University. "Well, Ric, what about Easter bunnies and eggs? Aren't they pagan?" They are not pagan, and they are recent modern inventions. The article provides details.
https://news.web.baylor.edu/news/story/2016/why-easter-was-never-anything-christian-holiday
After reading the article, we will continue to study why Christians celebrate Easter Sunday.
A Time for the Gospel
Those opposed to Easter and Christmas share the same talking points. "Christmas and Easter are pagan." The assumption is that a good Christian will not celebrate Easter at this time of the year because someone said it is pagan, or worse, someone who celebrates Easter is worshipping pagan deities.
Worshipping pagan deities is a serious charge. When one worships a pagan god, there are several rituals of literal worship. Today, I had lunch with a friend who shared that his definition of "pagan" is consumerism, which he defined as buying Easter eggs, the stores marking up eggs in the store, and buying candy and toy bunnies. In Jeremiah, there are several instances of pagan worship. Jeremiah 7:18 For Easter and Christmas, we see no one worshipping deities as defined by pagans. People often associate consumerism with paganism, but this is not the case. Consumerism is a heart issue and cannot be judged from the outside.
If these accusations are not true about Easter, is there a problem of laziness on our part due to a lack of research? Worse, if a group in our circle of influence believes this and we are unaware of why they think it is true, are we succumbing to a form of adult peer pressure? A passionate argument that Easter is pagan can stem from good motivation, but the person echoing this claim may not have conducted any research. The person does not want to offend God. Good idea. However, if proper research is done, we will find that the concerns are not valid in actual history. Why are people sharing about something they have not researched?
We can celebrate Easter in peace because Christ's resurrection has given us peace with God. What if the result is to focus on not celebrating Easter because it is pagan, and we lose an opportunity to share why we celebrate Easter and do not present the Gospel? Like Christmas, this time of year is a celebration of the Gospel.
Another close friend came to Christ just over a year ago and prayed for his family to go to the knowledge of salvation. His youngest sister shared with him that she had no idea Easter was about the Lord Jesus Christ, and she was not a churchgoer. My friend used the opportunity to share the Gospel, and she came to Christ! Three weeks later, she died of a heart attack! Christmas and Easter are times to focus on Christ and what He did for us on the cross, and share that truth with others who do not know why they are celebrating. Others believe Easter is pagan and tell us not to celebrate Easter for another reason: to celebrate the Jewish Passover.
And then learn about the Passover, and here are excellent resources from Loveisrael.org: https://biblestudycompany.com/blog/article/288
Should a Christian celebrate Passover (Jewish) or Easter (Christian)?
Now that we have settled that Easter is not pagan, we can move on to another problem. Our faith in Christ has its roots in Jewish tradition. The Jewish nation was founded on leaving Egypt as slaves to become a nation around their belief in God. To leave Egypt, they observed the Passover meal, which involved the sacrifice of a lamb. But first, those who believed in God were warned that the Destroyer would come and kill the firstborn children throughout the land. To prevent the Destroyer from visiting their homes, the Hebrews had to kill, eat, and sprinkle the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. Believing in God's word and acting on it caused the Destroyer to "Passover" the house. Therefore, between 1.5 and 2.5 million people left Egypt.[2] The Jews were to celebrate Passover every year. The feast is called “unleavened bread” because the Jews left Egypt quickly without leavening their bread. Our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified on the Passover without sin, because He is God, and was designated as the Passover Lamb. Exodus 12.
Yet, for some reason, Christians celebrate Easter versus Passover. Why should that be? Simply because of calendars, the resurrection, and unleavened bread.
Christians view the first day of the week (Sunday) as the day Christ rose from the dead and therefore refer to it as "the Lord’s Day." The celebration of Easter is not tied to the Jewish calendar, but to a specific day. Sunday became the traditional day for worship for Christians (Jews and Gentiles in Christ), although many celebrated the Sabbath and still do. It was natural to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ on Sunday. The resurrection symbolizes Christ's defeat of sin and death. We can find records of the early church celebrating the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ on Sunday, the first day of the week. We can also find documents that both Jews and Gentiles kept the Sabbath and also worshipped on the Lord’s Day. Acts 20:7-12
Judaism celebrates Passover because they do not accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah. Some Jewish people who believe in Jesus Christ as their Messiah will still honor the Passover. "Remember, Ric, that Passover is not the end of the story," said Dr. Daniel Goepfrich. He paused and continued, "The resurrection is the end of the story, which is why we celebrate the resurrection." (paraphrase)
Jewish people also use a calendar based on the new moon, which can include Passover and unleavened bread during the week. In other words, Judaism is not tied to celebrating the Passover on any specific day, such as Sunday, but rather celebrates Passover on the 14th day of Nissan, which can fall on a different day of the week each year. Notice that Passover is a weeklong celebration, and Christianity instead focuses on the day of His resurrection.
Let’s Review
Christians believe that the feast of unleavened bread, which removes sin in our lives because we exchange His righteousness for our sinfulness, was fulfilled in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who made atonement with His sinless blood for all mankind. Jesus is the Passover lamb. In Contrast, the Passover focuses on the Exodus of Egypt (a type and shadow of what the Lord Jesus Christ would fulfill), which now finds fulfillment in Christ's resurrection. Heb 7:26-8:5.[3] Christians focus on Easter Sunday because they recognize Christ as the Messiah, and Christ’s resurrection is on Sunday, the first day of the week. Mark 16:9
Why don't Christians celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread? The symbolism of yeast is sin. Therefore, in preparation for Passover, one must remove sin in one's life by cleaning one's house of all things touched, or that might have been touched by yeast (ovens, utensils, mixing bowls, etc.). If you have ever tried to go a week without yeast products, it is tough to accomplish. A person cannot work hard enough to have sin/yeast removed from their life. We are thankful for the Lord Jesus' sacrifice as the Passover Lamb to wash away our sins with His blood. Therefore, this feast is fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ.
We ask the final question: Is Easter pagan? No. Should Christians celebrate Passover? We found that immersing ourselves in learning how Christ fulfilled most feasts is a beneficial experience. Seder meals, such as the Last Supper, are instructive for Christian believers to understand that Christianity is rooted in Judaism. The focus of Passover is the blood on the doorposts. The subject of Easter Sunday is the blood of Christ on the cross, which forgives our sins, and that He has risen from the dead, thereby canceling our sin debt to God, as Christ said on the cross. Christ rose from the dead and was witnessed by over 500 people; then, the Holy Spirit came, as promised in Acts 2, which is our assurance of eternal life. 1 Cor 15:6. No other person in history was raised from the dead. 1 Cor 15:13. Our God has risen!
We can focus on the Passover, which points to the lamb's blood in Egypt, or believers in Christ can celebrate the fulfillment of Passover on Easter Sunday, a day (rather than a week) of Christ's resurrection! And if you like, add Easter bunnies and cute eggs for kids that point them to new life in Christ as a teaching tool, as these are a modern invention.
Enjoy your holiday. People are open this season to know what Easter is about, so share the Good News! Christ has risen! And learn about all the Jewish festivals with BSC and Loveisrael.org.
[1] Owen Jarus 01 February 2014, “Ishtar Gate: Grand Entrance to Babylon,” livescience.com, September 22, 2022, https://www.livescience.com/43036-ishtar-gate.html#:~:text=The%20Ishtar%20Gate%2C%20named%20after.
[2]Liz Abrams and Troy Lacey, “Did 600,000 Men Leave Egypt with Moses?,” Answers in Genesis (Answers in Genesis, September 20, 2022), https://answersingenesis.org/bible-questions/did-600000-men-leave-egypt-moses/.
[3] Nissan Dubov, “Pesach,” Chabad.org (Chabad), accessed March 23, 2023, https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2313774/jewish/The-Jewish-Festivals.htm.
Introduction: We never infer that one should or should not celebrate Christmas. This article is for people to know Christmas's factual, researched historical background. The word Christmas was not invented until @1000 ad. This word is a Roman Catholic term and has no bearing on the birth of our Savior. The angels in heaven celebrated the birth of our Savior in Luke 2. This time of the year is about the Gospel for the lost. That was the point of Christ's coming. Has God supernaturally provided a time for people to hear the Gospel? We think so. When one hears that Christmas is pagan, this article should help you decide. Blessings.
By Biblestudycompany.com Ric Joyner
We will state upfront that Christmas is not a biblical holiday. But it is not unbiblical to celebrate the birth of Christ. We should also not equalize materialistic Christmas with our Savior's advent (coming). The Old Testament prophesized the birth of the Savior to come. The current secular traditions of Santa, who has almost god-like qualities and manipulates kids to "further fantasize" a jolly old man who can give all children on earth toys or even an "elf on the shelf" that watches how they behave, is unbiblical. Still, some feel it is acceptable to create a myth around Santa Claus while children are young. We disagree. It is always best to be honest with children about Santa.
Giving presents at this time of the year is not wrong because the Magi gave Christ's family gifts in worship to the young boy Messiah. These gifts were providential because they provided money and helped the family flee to Egypt.
Consumerism and greed are wrong and sinful, but only the Holy Spirit can lead you to that truth, and He knows your heart. Grace-filled gifts that point people to a saving and loving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ can be a focus at this time of year.
Frustration mounts as we approach this time of year in the Christmas season because of the Internet. Shouts of "Christmas is pagan" escalate into a crescendo with arguments against Christmas on social media and in discussions with your friends. But is it true that Christmas, or rather what we say, The birth of our Savior, is actual history?
But could these accusations be a veiled attack on the Gospel in the name of "we don't want to be idolators?" Therefore, is the theory that Christmas is pagan or from pagan sources accurate? Or is the reverse true? This article aims to provide the historical truth of our research. Don't accept what others teach without researching. I did my research, and you can verify it. We think there are ulterior motives to capture and captivate Christians into doing "other" holidays or even attacking people who do not believe Christmas is pagan.
Matthew Chapters 1-2 highlights
Simeon's prophecy Luke 2:30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel."
Luke Chapters 1 and 2. Pay attention to what the angels say a couple of times: "Good news," translated as the same word…Gospel. The birth of Christ was good news for Jews because their long-awaited Messiah was finally here, and the prophecy was being fulfilled. We write this paper 2,000 years later for Gentiles, grateful that the apostles preached the Gospel to us: Good news: Christ came as a child to break the back of sin and death and allowed us Gentiles an eternal "home" and become children of God! Gentiles are not part of the nation of Israel, but we are part of God's family! (Eph Chap 1-4) We celebrate the birth of Christ because of the Gospel!
Read John 1 for a view from heaven of why Christ came.
"9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the intention of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. We saw His glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."
If it is, then are you a pagan for celebrating the day of Christ's birth on December 25th? The historical false proof that Christmas is pagan is thrown at you with overwhelming emotional force. Typically, a discussion of paganism will start in the Old Testament and then go into Christmas, which is pagan. Is emotionalism based on biblical truth? How about historical facts? We know the origin of Christmas (birth of Christ) is biblical. The story of our Savior starts with His birth because the prophets mentioned He was coming. We suspect the anti-Christmas vehemence is agenda-driven. We ask this question because born-again believing Christians are not worshipping pagan deities by participating in the birth of Christ called Christmas today. Why weren't Christians committed to Christ worshipping pagan deities in early church times? Because most were fleeing for their lives from persecution.
I spoke to a Torah-keeping brother who said, "Yes, Christmas is pagan." I asked how that could be, and he shared, "When you put a present under the tree, you are 'bowing' down to the tree." I was stunned. The logic he displayed defied logic. Yeah, no. Worshipping a pagan deity requires one to engage the diety knowingly.
In our research, there were pagan celebrations that started around the time of 274 AD, but they appear to be in response to Christians in Rome celebrating the birth of Christ! We then ask what came first, the "chicken or the egg?" "However, it has also been argued that, on the contrary, Emperor Aurelian, who in 274 instituted the holiday of the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, did so partly as an attempt to give a pagan significance to a date already important for Christians in Rome.[76]
Did you catch that? As you will see, other historians show us that Christians were celebrating the birth of Christ (not in a modern sense), and the Romans had to create a holiday to counter their celebration, thus being anti-pagan. How interesting?
Is the nearness of a pagan holiday make Christmas pagan? When I sift through the concerns of 'Christmas is pagan,' people, did you know there was a pagan holiday at this time? We will deal with this later, but does that make celebrating the birth of Christ pagan today? Let's ask another question: Is Hanukkah pagan? The answer is no. Yet, Hanukkah is square in the middle of this pagan holiday called Saturnalia. Do you see how this is done? The proximity of time to another holiday makes the people celebrate a different holiday, equal to pagan practices. And we know that Hanukkah is not pagan. The true church pushed hard against these wicked holidays, and to assume born-again believers were participating in pagan festivals doesn't make much sense since Christians had to live outside of society for several hundred years because of severe persecution.
Calling Christmas pagan because of the nearness of the same period of a pagan holiday would be the same as calling Easter (the resurrection of Christ) and Passover pagan. The proximity does not work because a pagan spring festival may happen simultaneously.
Wess Huff, a biblical scholar, went through the history of Christmas. He discovered the same thing I did. The celebration of Christmas was not centered on a pagan holiday in Roman times. Still, Rome may have started a pagan holiday to CO-OP (replace or compete with) what Christians were already celebrating: the birth of the Savior. Remember, they were celebrating the birth of the Savior in Luke 2, not modern Christmas celebrations. https://youtu.be/5zcaQlBbk6s?si=pajb3K2Vh6NnZFWT
It's commonly asserted that Christmas has pagan origins. This idea, although popular on the internet and on History Channel (has HC really done any history in the last two decades or is it just all Ancient Aliens and Pawn Stars now?), the reality is that when you actually dig into the origin of these supposed pagan roots they really start to fall apart. Sol Invictus - 3:14 Saturnalia - 5:14 Brumalia - 6:18 Origin of Dec. 15th - 7:30 Christmas trees - 9:19 "It's not in the Bible so don't do it" - 15:31
We can confidently say that born-again believers would not have observed a pagan holiday and dishonored our Lord Jesus Christ, who rescued us from sin and death. Born-again believers do not participate in pagan rituals today, and Christmas is about the birth of Christ. We think it is grossly unfair to attribute pagan status to Christmas, especially in light of the historical facts. Looking back from our vantage point today, we see that being able to judge people of another time is arrogant indeed. There is a word for this, and it is presentism.
Note: This is another argument over the date of Christ's birth. The logic that stems from this is that "Christ wasn't born on December 25, so we should not celebrate the birth of Christ on that day. But really, we should not celebrate it all anyway." That argument is like arguing over what we had for Thanksgiving dinner 10 years ago. The world is celebrating Dec 25 as the day we stop and celebrate Christ's birthday. That is a fact. We should use this to share the Gospel with those unfamiliar with Who Christ is.
Let's go through some history anyway.
"Certainly today, the mix of consumerism (AKA Santa Claus) can take people's eyes off Christ, but our job is to bring them back to the salvation message of the Gospel. Will you join us?" BSC.
Note: In our extensive research, we stumbled upon a Wikipedia article. We usually would bypass Wikipedia as higher education frowns on its use; however, this article has stood the test of time (2001) and is updated continually, even in 2021. Once you dive into the article, you will see the extent and expanse of the research on Christmas.
Here are some highlights:
"Christmas" is a shortened form of "Christ's mass." The word was recorded as Crīstesmæsse in 1038 and Cristes-messe in 1131.[22] Crīst (genitive Crīstes) is from Greek Khrīstos (Χριστός), a translation of Hebrew Māšîaḥ (מָשִׁיחַ), "Messiah," meaning "anointed";[23][24] and mæsse is from Latin missa, the celebration of the Eucharist.[25]”
"December 25 was the winter solstice date in the Roman calendar.[16][53] A late fourth-century sermon by Saint Augustine explains why this was a fitting day to celebrate Christ's nativity: "Hence it is that He was born on the Day which is the shortest in our earthly reckoning and from which subsequent days begin to increase in length. He, therefore, who bent low and lifted us chose the shortest Day, yet the one whence Light begins to increase." [54]
(Please note that Augustine allegorized Scripture, and we can see it here, which is not a good approach)
We conclude by the historical facts that the Roman Catholic Church did not exist at the beginning of Christian recognition of the birth of Christ.
"The Roman Emperor Constantine established himself as the head of the church around 313 A.D., which made this new "Christianity" the Roman Empire's official religion. The first actual Pope in Rome was probably Leo I (440-461 A.D.), although some claim that Gregory I was the first (Pope) (590-604 A.D.). This ungodly system eventually ushered in the darkest period known to man, called the "Dark Ages" (500-1500 A.D.). Through popes, bishops, and priests, Satan ruled Europe, and Biblical Christianity became illegal."
"And therefore, we should not celebrate the birth of Christ." We would say, "Tell that to the angels engaging the shepherds because heaven celebrated the birth of God's Son!" Luke 2:2-14
"And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
Note: the words Good News are translated from Greek
Original word: εὐαγγελίζω
Transliteration: euaggelizó
Definition (short): preach
Description (complete): to announce good news
I think this comment that "we were never commanded to celebrate Christmas" is a logical fallacy. There are many events in the Bible that people acknowledge and celebrate that we are not commanded.
But the main issue is what we will do with this time of the year.
Yep, evangelize during Christmas. There are hurting hearts at this time of the year, and many blindly celebrate a holiday not connected to Christ's birth. Let us help people relate it to Christ, our Savior.
If not Christmas, what should we celebrate instead? Some in Torah-keeping groups and Hebrew roots say we should celebrate Hanukkah instead to return to our Jewish roots. Hanukkah was not part of the Gospel, and the birth of Christ IS part of the Gospel.
We encourage everyone everywhere to ask God whether one should participate in the celebration of the birth of Christ. We say YES! We can confidently push back on anti-Christmas and Christmas is pagan with correct historical and biblical facts. You may want to tell Children there is no Santa Claus so they know the truth. We are blessing them with presents as a reminder that the Lord Jesus Christ is a gift of grace to us who were lost and now found.
Acts 26:18 gives us the motivation behind the Gospel by the Lord when he was talking to Paul on the road to Damascus. The Lord Jesus said; "to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'"
During this time of the year, people are open to the Gospel for nearly one month, meaning the world is focused on the "holidays." Can their sensitivity or openness be supernatural? We think so. Do we let this opportunity slide through our fingers to share the gift of salvation? In Matthew 28, our commission is to go and make disciples. To make a disciple, we must present the Gospel first. Will we waste our time arguing over the birth of Christ, whether it is pagan or not? To this, we say that people saying Christmas or the celebration of the birth of Christ is pagan are avoiding the Gospel! Why? Let us ask this question: Who in the spiritual realm attacks the Gospel and wants it destroyed? Satan. Think about this tidbit. Imagine a worldwide focus on Christmas, even in Buddhist countries. Why not present the Gospel at this time of the year? As Paul said, his focus was on getting people reconciled to God. (2Cor 5:18-21)
Think critically: False teachers attempt to get Christians (those who believe in Christ as their Savior) away from biblical foundations onto another system of thinking. We think this is precisely what is going on here. One area we know this is as we studied the history of Christmas, we discovered that virtually none of their view of historical facts stand up to scrutiny. That was a big surprise to me. In my graduate degrees, we learn and are trained in proper research. My career was researching specific tax guidance and helping people understand how the original writer of the tax code wrote the regulation and how to apply that for the best effect. I went where the history and facts led. I can't sugarcoat or bring an ideology to bear on the historical facts. And when we pointed this out...we were attacked. That is how we know this is a false history that Christmas is pagan. Typically, a video will start with Christmas being pagan by calling people who celebrate Christmas that they are pagans. This is called the logical fallacy of the straw man argument. God promised by the first prophecy in Genesis 3:15 that a Savior would come. We are celebrating this prophecy:
"15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." The Accuser is bound and determined to use people, even with good intentions, to stop the message of the Gospel of Salvation. We use the word accusation intentionally because people who celebrate traditional Christmas are called pagans. It was a severe charge but, fortunately, untrue.
God is a God of prophecy. He wants us to know what is coming. He answered His word and has "healing in His wings" to "reconcile us to God." There are no other holy books that contain prophetic words fulfilled!
Every Christmas season is a literal miracle that this holiday is focused worldwide on Jesus Christ, our Savior. Even the Wikipedia article acknowledges this undeniable fact.
Therefore, let us turn aside from agenda-driven history as supposed "facts" and focus on the birth of Christ and sharing the Good news of His coming to rescue us from our sin and eternal death, thus giving us eternal life works in the blood of Christ! Anyone who teaches the Bible should want the facts and present them in a manner worthy of sound scholarship.
What can you and your family do to share the love of Christ with a hurting world this Christmas season? Here is one video that touches our hearts because it makes my point that people are celebrating with family and friends but may not know the real reason for Christmas—salvation. You can see this young woman become emotional as she learns that she has broken God's laws and needs a savior—the very holiday she is celebrating but not knowing why!
Feel free to share the resources.
Melton, James. "The Plain Truth about the Roman Catholic Church." biblebelievers.com. Bible Baptist Publications, 1998. https://biblebelievers.com/jmelton/Catholic.html.
Wikipedia Contributors. "Christmas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 31, 2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas.
———. "Christmas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 31, 2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas
William Federer: There is a Santa Claus - History of Saint Nicholas & Christmas Holiday Traditions
by Amazon.com Learn more: https://amzn.to/3Q2kzez
Christmas has nothing to do with paganism: Red pen logic
Was December 25 the date of Christ's birth? The Greek Orthodox church thinks so.
Resources
1. Is Christmas PAGAN? In defense of Christmas (Mike Winger of Bible Thinker)
2. Got questions.org https://www.gotquestions.org/Christmas-pagan-holiday.html
4. Stop Twisting Jeremiah 10 Because It's Not About Christmas Trees
5. Alisa Childers on Christmas
6. For the extensive history of Christmas with the discussion of the dates for the birth of Christ, God Became Incarnate James Quiggle by Amazon.com
Learn more: https://amzn.to/4gtTBrd
7. The Star of Bethlehem is an excellent movie featuring the star's astronomical view. https://youtu.be/55VRdLnkvDw
8. Wes Huff https://youtu.be/5zcaQlBbk6s?si=pajb3K2Vh6NnZFWT
Playlist of videos that will go step by step
Article On how to study the Bible from BSC step by step
Article by Dr. Baruch on how to study the Bible
Article on how numbers play a role in Bible Study
Blog article and podcast on how we learned to study the Bible with Dr. Baruch
See full post & commentsThis prayer is a guide and biblically based. All a person needs to do is cry out to God in their own words. If you're unsure about how to pray, please use this prayer as a guide only. No prayer will save you but your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for you on the cross.
To have a relationship with God, rather than a relationship with religion, pray this prayer sincerely in your own words.
Dear Heavenly Father, (Matt. 6:9) I want a relationship with You...not a religion. I come to You and open my heart. (John 3:16) I will be honest and sincere with You. (John 4) I am running my life and need Your help. (Matt. 6:10) I am made in Your image (Gen 1:26, 27), and I won't be happy until I am in a relationship with you. (Gen. 3) Most of my behavior does not please You. (Romans 3:23) I know I am a sinner, so please forgive my sins because of Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who came to die for my sins. (John 3:16) His death on the cross is the punishment I should receive, but You were gracious to die in my place through Christ. By faith, I place all of my past, present, and future sins on Christ. I believe Jesus Christ is my Savior, and salvation is a free gift! I know I cannot earn my way to heaven by being good through good works. (Eph. 2:8) You did this so I can be in a relationship with You on earth and for all eternity. (Romans 10:9-13) And I will forgive those who have sinned or hurt me because you have forgiven me. Take away any bitterness or resentment I carry toward You or other people. (Matt. 6:13-14) Please show and teach me how to live a praiseworthy life on earth to You starting today. (Matt. 6:33, Acts 9 and 10) I ask you to be in my heart, as Paul said in Ephesians 3:17. I know that You love me, Father, and I want to love You, and that You have a purpose and plan for my life. I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Lord, because You gave me breath in my lungs, and Savior, because You paid my sin debt. Please teach me to pray. (Matt. 6:9) Thank You, Jesus, for saving me to Yourself (Ex. 19:1-8) and making me a new person! (2 Cor. 5:17) In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!
Learn to grow at www.biblestudycompany.com
See full post & commentsMary and I wrote an article for a magazine in Cleveland TN called Good News. Here is the article. Let us know what you think.
https://issuu.com/goodnewscm/docs/october_2018_cleveland/32
See full post & commentsHave you been subjected to these endless and unscriptural memes? Did you know that this is actually a lie? There is nowhere in scripture that God said any such thing. So, this is coming from man to inspire your sinful nature. Listen, folks, we at Biblestudycompany.com are dedicated to recognizing we are hopelessly lost sinners that are offending God by our actions, attitudes, and thoughts---unless we repent and ask for Jesus Christ to save us. If you prayed a sinner’s prayer and continue in a lifestyle that is unbiblical…no memes will help you at the judgment. Without Jesus Christ’s intervention into human history, to die a criminal’s horrible death we have no salvation. Shall we then live as we lived formerly? He is our Creator. This is His world and YOU ARE A GUEST. He made us a for a purpose and that was to serve Him and obey His word. But, we can’t in and of ourselves. We must turn to Him for help and change. Do that today. Your next breath is a gift from God. There may not be another. Please share this to spread the gospel. Let us know if you decided to join us in living a praiseworthy life to God.
See full post & commentsWe are studying the Bible in Exodus 28:36-41 where the pattern for the priestly garments was being discussed and came on the verses that were about Aaron's head coverings. The description had a symbolic detail that not only pointed to Christ but how we, as priests, were to focus our minds. We will serve what we think about. (Phil 4:6-8) Romans 12:1-2 1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” These verses show Aaron’s focus as a priest. Each piece of the garment is a spiritual principle that, if we obey, will lead us to a praiseworthy life to God. Are we Kingdom people? Who are they and what do they do? The first clue is obedience to God’s word which Moses was doing by responding to the pattern that God was showing him precisely as God revealed. Next God is teaching us symbolism in the priestly garments of how Christ would act and how we must follow Him too. This is important because Colossians 3:2 says; “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” His agenda is for our minds. We will eventually serve our thoughts. The gold plate with the "seal" of the ‘Holiness to the Lord’ is a powerful reminder of where our minds must be set because our hearts will soon follow. I struggle with reading the news and how bad things are getting. Meaning that it is almost scary where the entire world is headed in opposition to God’s principles. It truly is the ‘Days of Noah’ as Christ shared. And this worldly thinking causes some fear. I gently hear in these Scriptures; “get back to focus on Me and My Kingdom there is much to learn…let’s go and get walking!” Right. This is being a Kingdom person! These garment patterns will give us a clue of what our focus must be while we minister to the Lord and then how He ministers to the world. If we are ready for Him, He can use us. What if we have doubts? What if we are in the midst of trials? Where do we turn? Join us for Podcast for Pewsitters with Ric and Mary Joyner to discuss how to be a Kingdom person!
See full post & commentsThe most weighty thing has me contemplating with the events recently of loss of family and friends. Mortality. We are finite. We all know it. But I am concerned that I don't act like I am. Meaning that as Mary and I continue studying Scripture together through these tumultuous times, sadness and fondness of remembering those we lost, we can begin to see the power and majesty of the God Who Created us. This is His world and His agenda. We are His creation and have a purpose. But He gave us a free choice to live our lives either for Him or not. Consequences arise from the perspective Mary and I choose because we will give an account to Him one day. Romans 14:10-12 “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." 12
Are you ready to give an account of yourself to God? You can be but how?
So Mary and I want to get this life right according to what God says on how we should live. This has been our discussion and growing passion. We will shed this body at some point... that is the weight. I am mortal. The next weight is standing before Him to give an account. That is the weightious of all. As we go through another loss (of a brother-in-law mother, friend with cancer and friend’s wife) I am reminded of this weight.
And then Christ said it too! Matthew 28: “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29“Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31“So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. 32“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.”
Watching my dear friend Owen Pach with cancer at 65 and sitting by his bedside was heart-wrenching. But then asking him about his relationship with God, that we often talked about, and he confessed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that He forgave his sins AND THEN a few days later he was gone and this has made this pressing for the two of us. I KNOW I will see him again! 😢
😔
😊
Thus, this is the clearest picture I can see of God whose world this is and how much He loves us because every hair is numbered! My friend’s hairs were numbered. The few that remained. 🙂
The final weight is this: These losses are spurring me (us) to faith in Jesus Christ who gives assurance of eternity (John 3) and to ask in faith for His help to obey His Word. For encouragement or comfort.
Musings for the day
See full post & commentsPodcast For Pewsitters: We are discussing the priestly garments and how they point to Christ. What happened between Exodus 19 where God told Moses He wanted a Kingdom of priests and Exodus 28 where only Aaron was the High Priest? Something drastic changed. If God loves us the way we are, as some say, then we need to love Him for the way He is. This is His world and we are His servants. But, do we act the way we were made? Did you know we were not created to serve ourselves and our happiness?
Did you know our purpose is to minister to God? Could what we desire be to our detriment unless it lines up with God's Will? Do we want to walk with Him and experience joy and peace and satisfaction in this rough, tumble and a hurtful world even if our life is crumbling? Yes! Why were the priestly garments even needed? What is God calling us to in Christ? Why did He suffer for us and die for us? Could it be we are criminals? Christ died a criminals death. Was this a picture to show us how evil sin is? Yes! No one likes this thought, but we do need to look in the mirror of our heart called the 10 commandments to see where we stack up. These are the 10 expectations of God. The "follow your feelings" society just doesn't cut it in the Kingdom of God. People are left hungry, empty and broken. But God is our Creator, and He can make way for us. What is it?
We ask questions like why did Aaron get priestly garments and not Moses? Perhaps Moses was a model priest already? Moses heard God's voice and carried it out correctly. That is what priests did in the Old Testament, and disciples do in the New. He was truly a servant of God. We have God's Word, and we can be the same. We can say Moses was trained by God. We have the same opportunity. Will we take it?
What is God trying to say to us with the tinkling bells and pomegranates? Where does all of this show up in the new testament? Why is there so much symbolism in the old testaments? Why can't people see the connection to symbolism? Could the gospels be a parallel picture of the Exodus? The Hebrews in the desert saw the pillar of fire and the cloud and how God miraculously provided for them and healed them, yet it says they did not believe! (Hebrews 3) WHAT! The people in the new testament saw the miracles and the Words of Christ as He spoke to them, yet many did not believe! Even some of the disciples doubted! (Matthew 28) What shall we do? Could obeying God produce faith? YES! One step toward Him, even if we are confused and unsure is an act of faith. It will even produce more faith! You will start to grow up in God. Let God help you with your pain, hurt and confusion. We asked a lot of questions, and this is exactly what we should do every time we approach scripture. "What is Your agenda, Lord and how may we carry it out?" Join Ric and Mary Joyner for Podcast for Pew Sitters!
See full post & commentsIn this episode, Ric and Mary Joyner of Bible Study Company discuss why they went to Israel. What did they see? And did how Israel and the tour touched them? Ric said: "It is fair to say that we left our hearts in Israel. We see why this country has been through so much as it literally is in the center of the world and where the trade routes went through for the entire known world. Was this an accident? Or does God have plans for lands, peoples and us? Psalm 24: 1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers. As always we want to line up with His agenda not our own. This is why we study the bible. We are His creation and therefore we can choose to serve Him or ourselves. Which will it be?"
Going to Israel was fraught with anxiety and safety concerns but we discovered that this was a false narrative. We went on tour with Dr. Baruch and Rivka Korman of loveisrael.org. This was a teaching tour. Meaning, that we would include tourist areas but also spend time teaching at specific spots to relate the Bible and God's agenda to the land. It was over the top good. Loveisrael.org is having another tour in 2019. Their website has details. So join us for a time of discussion in this podcast about our trip for part 1. Two pew-sitters who are studying the Bible using principles Dr. Korman taught us and we went to actually see the Holy Land! WOW!
See full post & commentsOur mission is to obey the Word of God which is the Bible. To be a disciple of Christ, we are to follow Him. The Lord has just given the “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5, which is how we should respond to the ten commandments if we want to live a praiseworthy life to God. Christ gives a picture of a person’s heart who is convicted of sin by encountering the ten commandments and is now asking for God’s help to change. In chapter 6, the Lord is showing us, now what our responding to His call looks like in daily life as we live out His words. Then He shows us how to pray. In Verse 7, He starts out by saying:
7 "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 "So do not be like them; for your, Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (NASB)
So we asked ourselves why do we pray the Lord’s prayer as meaningless repetition? Is there more to this prayer than how we were taught in church? We believe yes, and thus could it be an outline for us to follow? For years we have broken this prayer down and spent time walking outside or praying in a quiet place to spend time on each part of the outline. As a couple, we will use this as an outline when we pray together. Great relationship building with the Lord has occurred. We want to caution that this is no formula because this is how Christ said to pray. Faith is acting on God’s word. And if you look closely at the whole prayer, it is indeed an outline, and each part of it takes time. Join Ric and Mary Joyner in their podcast for Pewsitters spending time on each part of this prayer. Let us know what you think.
Open Matthew 6:9 and read along with us.
See full post & commentsWe are home from Israel after being on a study tour with Dr. Baruch Korman of Loveisrael.org. The tour was a treasure of experiences causing the Bible to come alive. We felt we were in "God's home" and we could literally see prophecy fulfilled.
We were able to experience the peoples' daily lives and how God cared for them. But "daily circumstances" invaded our lives too once we returned home. This podcast is about why there were no podcasts to continue our study of Exodus and what "other things" happened in our life. Grab your favorite beverage and join us for an update.
See full post & commentsI woke up this morning to a family member asking if we are OK because we are on a tour of Israel. I was puzzled. I feel the safest I have ever felt on any trip.
We are right here in Jerusalem and there have not been any incidents. When you are here you see what is really happening. You find out quickly that what you learned about the Jewish/Palestinian struggle is from western media sources that Israel occupied Palestinian land. If you believe that please get educated other than left-wing media such as CNN or New York Times. People yell about Fox News is right wing but at least most shows on Fox let both sides speak. But the Main Stream Media (MSM) is slanted and biased. CNN numbers are falling very fast. The headlines of NY Times on Gaza today are a total perspective lie and they are being called out on it by people and other news organizations. Israel dropped leaflets telling Hamas not to approach the fence. Hamas says the protests are peaceful, yet they are burning tires to create a smoke screen while known terrorists are trying to cut the fence and hurling large stones that could kill Israelis and flying kites with bottles of flammable liquid to burn Israeli crops. They are putting their women and children up to the fence which is a threat to use as human shields for the media attention and paying them to put themselves in harm's way. This is not a peaceful organization. But the MSM news does not show that. The news does not show the Palestinian flags with Nazi swastikas! Why not? Perhaps the knowledge of the truth may hurt their agenda! Hamas is running Gaza and is a known terrorist organization with the stated goal (Iran as well) to annihilate the Jews. Yes, you heard correctly. They want to kill Jewish people because they are Jewish. And do so. How can a peace deal be reached when that is the stated goal? Their goal is not to have a homeland but to kill Jews. Did you know Gaza was given in 2005 to the Palestinians for the hope of exchange for peace? It was a thriving Jewish community of 25 years that created an oasis of productive businesses, farms, and homes. Many of the homes and businesses were destroyed by Hamas simply because it was Jewish! Those Jewish families evicted out Gaza which was legally purchased, and some have not recovered! Get educated, please. Israel has learned that giving into a terrorist organization is futile if the stated goal is to kill Jews. Of Israel’s population, a great percentage are peaceful Arabs who live in harmony with the Jewish people. We have personally interacted with them and their kindness and generosity are amazing. They are not terrorists they are part of a country that loves them and welcomes them with open arms.
Our guide is a 10-generation immigrant to Israel and is a Jew. As we walked the streets of Jerusalem which were controlled by Jordan he said where the Jewish families in 1967 were sniped at and killed from the walls of Jerusalem!!! We drove down roads near the Golan Heights by Jewish farms and trees had to be planted to cover people from snipers! He lived all of this.
This land was a desert prior to 1948. Who would want it? But it has come alive today which is a prophecy fulfilled! Ezekiel 36.37
I have personally stopped watching news media for several months and am glad I have. The media is being called out on their bias. But they continue to lie. When you are from the outside looking in, as we were, the information is skewed. Being here is much different. Israeli children asked someone in our group today if they loved Israel. The children also were chanting a line that basically said “at least we are alive” meaning what they suffered as a people. The nation of Israel is a wakeup call to all of us who love God and want His purposes fulfilled. When we first arrived in Israel last week we met a young Colorado Jewish woman who lives now in Israel. She is a citizen. When visiting here she said that most Israelis assume people hate them! This is the feeling in Israeli citizens. How would you like to live like that?
Get educated. We are. Those who bless Israel will be blessed. Read Gen 12 because those who curse Israel will be cursed. Take a stroll near the Palestinian areas and you will see it there are marked differences. Jewish communities have large fences and the Arab population does not. Why is that? Death threats. So, do we want to pass on information that curses Israel without getting the other side? Please share so people will get the correct information or start asking questions.
See full post & comments