Apostolic Traditions VS Traditions of Men

[Flsnookman]

21 hours ago, Jayne said:

Simon, I do NOT appreciate you hijacking my thread with all of this ridiculousness that I never intended.  I worked very, very hard on this original post because of a burden about our Catholic friends here who believe their religious traditions are apostolic.

This thread is not about holidays.  It's about distinguishing the apostolic from the man-made.  NO ONE believes that holiday traditions are apostolic. Most of them are secular, fun, and benign.  You've entered a topic that is not what this thread is about.

I spend at least two hours searching the scriptures on this and now it's turned into the Simon Hall show and your anti-holiday theme.

I've wiped out my original post and would appreciate it if you would go to your first post where you quoted me and erase my post.

You should have started your OWN thread.

 

I for one would be very interested in your original post, could you maybe repost it on a new thread?

[Flsnookman]

Wow, after going to the site for this "pathtotruth" I must say they seem right up there with the westboro baptists in that they have a lot of hate.

[Simon Hall]

On ‎16‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 0:24 AM, OneLight said:

May I ask if you are a Jehovah Witness?  Just trying to understand why you believe celebrating the day someone was born is evil and will make God jealous.

 

No, OneLight, I am not a Jehovah’s Witness, but I am a witness for Jehovah.

There is no room for the truth in whatever little box you want to put it in.

The truth and understanding has nothing to do with denominations.  The truth has to do with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Whether you see it or not, the bible is very clear about not following the traditions of men, and documented historical fact proves that Christmas, Easter and birthdays, among other things, are traditions of an ungodly people. If anyone genuinely wants to follow the Lord, and not their own path, then they will read and listen to the following links prayerfully.

The History Of Easter.pdf is at the bottom of the page.

The History of Birthdays   

The History of Christmas

Not keeping or partaking in the ungodly traditions of men, in and of themselves, does not make a person a true follower of Christ, alone. But it is a small part of taking up the cross and following Him. It’s part of dying to self.

 

The information in those 3 links is based on historical facts. I have nothing to do with any of the websites where those three links came from. I do not know the people that wrote the information at the links, and I had not heard of any of them before I found the links through Google. Also, I have not read anything else on these websites, therefore I don’t espouse to anything else they have written that you may find on there. These links are solely for the purpose of proving proof by historical fact that Christmas, Easter and birthday celebrations are not God given traditions, and in fact, are the machinations of a people that don’t love the Lord, but just want to live to please themselves and worship their false gods. There are many such writings on the internet for those who genuinely want the truth.

It’s the Lord, not me, that says He is a jealous God and it’s the Lord that commands us to stay away from false idols. The fact that people so vehemently want to hold onto things that clearly have their roots in ungodliness, worshipping their flesh nature, just goes to prove where their hearts lie. Just try and take a person’s right to celebrate Christmas, Easter or birthdays off them and see what ugly beast rears its head.

There was an error that I made in one of my earlier posts where I said “Secondly, don't you find it interesting that throughout the whole bible, there are only two birthday celebrations, and both of those for pagan royalty?”. A friend of mine has rightfully reminded me since my post, that there was in actual fact another mention of birthday celebrations in the bible. This one even more damning for those who say they follow the Lord, yet want to hold onto their birthday celebrations.

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east. His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts.” Job did so continually. (Job 1:1-5 WEB)

Verse 1 says “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil.”

Job didn’t even go to his own children’s birthdays. On the contrary, each time his children celebrated one, when the partying was over, he would offer burnt offerings to God to try and hopefully cover their sin. If birthday celebrations were acceptable to God, don’t you think that Job would have been at his own children's birthdays? But no, he stayed well away, knowing that birthday celebrations were in fact ungodly.

And where were all of Job’s children when they died? It turns out that on that day they were celebrating in the oldest brother’s house, and that day was more than likely the oldest brother's birthday based on verse 4 from the previous quote, communicating a reason why they would get together to eat and to drink wine.

It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, that there came a messenger to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, there also came another, and said, “The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you.” Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s name.” In all this, Job didn’t sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing. (Job 1:13-22 WEB)

Birthdays, even if someone is not given to drinking much wine, is a fleshly celebration that is all about “ME”. This is my day, people are going to wish me happy birthday, people are going to give me presents to honour me on my day, I am going to get the attention, the focus is on me because this is my day. You could be as wicked a person that has ever lived, yet on your birthday, the cake and candles come out, people honour you with their lips, even singing you a happy birthday song.

How many people in this world are horrid, rebellious, ungodly people, yet on that one day a year, oh how they get honoured. Many parents do it with their rebellious children. Their children are ungodly, disrespectful little beasts, but once again on that day, they get their presents and their cake and candles, they get all their special wishes, yet to turn around and cry and chuck a tantrum because they didn’t get the present they wanted. I am not saying this is the case with everyone, but I am saying that birthdays for everyone are a day of having themselves honoured.

How many husbands abuse their wives, how many wives abuse their husbands, how many children disrespect their parents, how many parents abuse their children, but yet, come their birthdays, or Father’s Day, or Mother’s Day, or Christmas, or Easter, or Valentine’s Day, for example, those same obnoxious people are given a place of stature and honour. Many times it is given to them out of fear and guilt, and out of pure tradition. Not every time, but on many, many occasions it is like that.

People honour each other in their wickedness, yet the Lord calls on people to “repent of their sinfulness and wicked ways”. The world and its worldly ways does exactly the opposite of what the Lord does and the opposite of what He commands those who are His, to do also. 

Whether it be birthdays, Christmas, Easter, or any other ungodly man made tradition, the Lord calls us out of those things, He calls us out of following the world and He calls us to follow Him.

 

“To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write: “The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of God’s creation, says these things: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me. He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.” (Rev 3:14-22 WEB)
 

 

 

The History Of Easter.pdf

Edited October 22, 2016 by Simon Hall

[OneLight]

10 minutes ago, Simon Hall said:

 

No, OneLight, I am not a Jehovah’s Witness, but I am a witness for Jehovah.

There is no room for the truth in whatever little box you want to put it in.

The truth and understanding has nothing to do with denominations.  The truth has to do with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Whether you see it or not, the bible is very clear about not following the traditions of men, and documented historical fact proves that Christmas, Easter and birthdays, among other things, are traditions of an ungodly people. If anyone genuinely wants to follow the Lord, and not their own path, then they will read and listen to the following links prayerfully.

Little box?  Do you always take questions so defensively? 

So, you do not believe that God knows our hearts, but only judges our actions? 

[kwikphilly]

Quote

If anyone genuinely wants to follow the Lord, and not their own path, then they will read and listen to the following links prayerfully.                                                                               Simon Hall

Don't mean to burst your bubble Simon but those that genuinely want to follow the Lord need only to read His Word(prayerfully) not follow ,read or listen to "links"

[Simon Hall]

51 minutes ago, OneLight said:

Little box?  Do you always take questions so defensively? 

So, you do not believe that God knows our hearts, but only judges our actions? 

No, OneLight, I am not defensive. I was just stating the truth of how I saw the following question you posed: May I ask if you are a Jehovah Witness?  Just trying to understand why you believe celebrating the day someone was born is evil and will make God jealous. It just seemed to me that you wanted to put the truth of what I posted in a box, so you could fob it off. I may have been wrong in my assumption, but I don't believe so.

In regards to your second question above:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it? I, Jehovah, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. (Jer 17:9-10 ASV)

 

I believe the word of God, OneLight. While I am thankful that the Lord judges the heart and searches the mind and that He gives to us according to our ways, it is documented there in verse 9 that the heart is deceitful and exceedingly corrupt. It also asks “who can know it?”. Until the Lord reveals to man the true nature of his own heart, that person has no idea of the depth of the wickedness of it.

So, have you read and/or listened to the 2 links and the PDF that were in my last post? You know, the ones about the history of Christmas, Easter and birthdays.

What did you think about those historical facts and how they stack up against the word of God?

I look forward to seeing what you have to say about those after you've been through them.

[Simon Hall]

30 minutes ago, kwikphilly said:

Don't mean to burst your bubble Simon but those that genuinely want to follow the Lord need only to read His Word(prayerfully) not follow ,read or listen to "links"

I think you're bursting your own bubble, kwik, because you've scanned over my post and picked out the tiniest little thing for which you have a comeback that you think makes my post null and void. The truth is not null and void because you try to knock it down with your slight of words.

For those who are meant to see and receive the truth as I have posted, they will see it and receive as the Lord wills.

If you are not one of those people, there is nothing I can do, or want to do about that. 

[Ezra]

14 minutes ago, Witness2U said:

If Peter and the other disciples had to remember everything Jesus spoke, don't you think they would have to have some awesome memory skills?

It was not the mental capabilities of the apostles that guaranteed what would be included in Scripture.  Rather, it was the power of the Holy Spirit to provide the exact words and narratives to the writers.  This is called Divine inspiration (2 Tim 3:16,17), so that every word was a Word of God as well as a word of men. The entire Bible was written on this basis (2 Pet 1:19-21), hence it is inspired, inerrant, and infallible.

19 We [the apostles and evangelists] have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation [self-generated origin].

21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God [the prophets] spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

[kwikphilly]

Quote

I think you're bursting your own bubble, kwik, because you've scanned over my post and picked out the tiniest little thing for which you have a comeback that you think makes my post null and void. The truth is not null and void because you try to knock it down with your slight of words.

For those who are meant to see and receive the truth as I have posted, they will see it and receive as the Lord wills.

If you are not one of those people, there is nothing I can do, or want to do about that.                                       Simon Hall

You will be in my prayers Simon,you have been here before,you understand the rules and when you are gone we will still remember you in prayer.....I've certainly not "scanned over" your post,I have carefully read each & every one of them  but the others are doing a fine job of responding ......The TRUTH is never null & void by anyone's words and it can not be altered or twisted either AND half truths will just not do    Yes indeed,those of US who do Receive Gods Timeless Truth( Gods Word,the Bible) do by Power of His Holy Spirit........because we have a personal Relationship with Him in Christ Jesus......

  So many come here Simon ,thinking themselves a prophet  as the gnostics thought themselves to be the ONLY one to know the Truth,,,,,,God Loves all,His Word is not so difficult to Understand that even a child cannot Receive Wisdom & Understanding   

    Simon,my intention is not to offend you(which seems you are easily personally offended) but to correct a false statement that is merely your truth,Gods Truth is not Received through internet links nor through an individuals interpretation but through what is Written in the God Inspired,God Breathed,Infallible,Irrefutable Word 

 

[OneLight]

1 hour ago, Simon Hall said:

No, OneLight, I am not defensive. I was just stating the truth of how I saw the following question you posed: May I ask if you are a Jehovah Witness?  Just trying to understand why you believe celebrating the day someone was born is evil and will make God jealous. It just seemed to me that you wanted to put the truth of what I posted in a box, so you could fob it off. I may have been wrong in my assumption, but I don't believe so.

In regards to your second question above:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it? I, Jehovah, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. (Jer 17:9-10 ASV)

 

I believe the word of God, OneLight. While I am thankful that the Lord judges the heart and searches the mind and that He gives to us according to our ways, it is documented there in verse 9 that the heart is deceitful and exceedingly corrupt. It also asks “who can know it?”. Until the Lord reveals to man the true nature of his own heart, that person has no idea of the depth of the wickedness of it.

So, have you read and/or listened to the 2 links and the PDF that were in my last post? You know, the ones about the history of Christmas, Easter and birthdays.

What did you think about those historical facts and how they stack up against the word of God?

I look forward to seeing what you have to say about those after you've been through them.

Yes, I did ask you if you followed the J.W. doctrine, because if you did, than I would understand what doctrine you did follow.  As for the box idea, I never put people in a box as I never know what is truly in their hearts.

Since you believe the word, then you must also believe Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

If we are always focusing on the legalistic side of scripture, we are no longer under Grace.  If a person breaks one law, they broke them all.  I am happier to allow His Spirit to lead me and not what another person tells me is right or wrong.