Sacred Names & Philosophy

Are we required to use sacred names today? 'They' say that if you don't use sacred names you cannot have contact with God, and you cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Is that true?

'They' go so far as saying in the New Testament that the name of Jesus comes from the name Zeus! That's shows that they know nothing about Greek when they say that.

Then another part of it is, that the Greek has no 'J' like in English. Let me give you the Greek pronunciation of Jesus' name—'ee ay sooce.' How close is that to 'J'? almost identical! 'ay'/J!

Let's look at something that is important. If God wanted Hebrew names in the New Testament, wouldn't He have inspired it to be there? What those sacred namers are doing is saying that they know more than God:

God, You forgot to put it there, You used the wrong language!

Who made all the languages? God did! Tower of Babel, confused their languages. Then, could you say—since God is Holy and sacred, and since He made all the languages--—the name of God in any language is Holy? Would that be true?

Now, let's look at this on the first Pentecost, Act 2, the first Pentecost for the Church, where the Church began right at the temple where all of the liturgy was done in Hebrew and Greek—both! That what the common language in the whole area of the Eastern Mediterranean for 300 years!

On that Day of Pentecost, there were Jews from every country around. Imagine how many were there! Imagine how many got the word coming back to their synagogues from different ones who went up to Jerusalem and came back and

• told them about Jesus
• told them about all the healing

'I was there when the widow woman's son was raised from the dead when they were carrying him out to bury him.'

Really? Yes, there are miracles going on in Jerusalem!

Don't you think on that first Pentecost when God began the Church on that day that He inspired a lot of different Jews from everywhere to come? Yes! There may have been as many as 30,000 or more there at the temple.

What happened when the Holy Spirit came? Remember, the Holy Spirit only does what God uses it as His power to do!

So, here are all the apostles gathered together; they didn't know this was going to happen. Jesus told them to stay in Jerusalem until they received power from on High. They didn't know what that meant. So, here they all are on that Day of Pentecost. At the proper time here came the Holy Spirit in power like a rushing powerful wind!

What did it inspire them to do? Speak the words of God concerning Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection!

What language did the apostles speak in? Multiple languages! The Holy Spirit inspired a miracle on that day and when the apostles spoke what was in their mind was the Truth of Jesus being spoken, but what came out was the Truth of what they were speak in a language of each of those who were there!

• Was that a sacred language in every instance?
• Did it come from God?
• Is that not sacred language? Yes!
• How many other languages besides Hebrew and Greek?

Let's look at the three active languages in the Holy Land at the time. I bring this up because there are also those who say that the New Testament was originally written in Syriaic or Aramaic, which is not true! It was written in Greek.

Luke 23—Pilate wanted to make sure that everyone understood who Jesus was, because he declared Him innocent. But through political pressure, he released Barabbas to be free instead of Jesus.

Luke 23:38: "And there also was an inscription over Him written in Greek… [the main language of that time] …and Latin… [as the Greek says, Roman] …and Hebrew… [no Aramaic; just the three languages] … 'This is the King of the Jews.'"

God never intended the New Testament to be written originally in anything other than Greek, because Greek is a very precise language. Hebrew is not quite so precise, and has more mysticism connected with it. Or what we could say, a spiritual understanding, or a little more leeway in interpretation! But not in the Greek.

Now let's see concerning the birth of Jesus: Matthew 1:18: "And the birth of Jesus Christ… ['ee ay sooce'/Christos in the Greek] …was as follows: Now, His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph; but before they came together, she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit."

Then the dream came to Joseph to take Mary for his wife, because this is of God.

Verse 23: "Behold, the virgin…"

Many translations today say, 'a virgin'; but in both the Greek and Heb. 7 is the virgin; the one, the only virgin Mary:

"…shall be with child and shall give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,'… [that's Hebrew, but notice when it's done in another language what happens]: …which is being interpreted, 'God with us.'" Showing that this was written in Greek, not Hebrew!

Verse 25: "But he [Joseph] did not have sexual relations with her until after she had given birth to her Son, the firstborn; and he called His name Jesus"—Yeshua in the Greek!

Let's look at some others, because there are those who say that we need to use the name 'Ya'—another name for God!

What other name do we have for God the Father? We know in the Old Testament there was 'The Most High' and that's the One Who became the Father! We know that there was the One Who 'YHVH'—Jehovah—Who became the Lord God of the Old Testament.

In the New Testament, because names are important, Jesus was called Jesus, and into whatever language that is translated, that's the sacred name for Him!

• What is the sacred name for God the Father?
• Can anyone show me in the New Testament what it is?
• Did Jesus know Hebrew? Yes!
• Did He know Aramaic? Yes!

Just before Jesus died, He said, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?'—'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' That's interpreted!

So, if God wanted sacred names, He would have put them here.Since He didn't, He wanted it for every language in the language that people can speak, know and understand. Not the Hebrew names!

John 17:1: "Jesus spoke these words, and lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify Your own Son, so that Your Son may also glorify You.'"

Verse 3: "For this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ… [ in the Greek: 'ee ay sooce Christos']…Whom You did send."

Why did Jesus say that the Father was the only true God here, when in the first part of John it says:

John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the God, and the Word was God."

The reason is because Jesus in the flesh was not completely God. If He were completely God in the flesh, His sacrifice would not pay for the sins of human beings who are in the flesh.

John 17:4: "I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work that You gave Me to do. And now, Father… [in the Greek: 'Pater'; what is the name in German? 'Fater'; in English: 'Father'] glorify Me with Your own self, with the glory that I had with You before the world existed. I have manifested Your name…"(vs 4-6).

If there were to be sacred names, don't you think that would be there. Of He has manifested His name—Father to them—if it were any different than Father it would have to be right here, and it would have to be in Hebrew. But it's not!

Verse 6: "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You have given them to Me, and they have kept Your Word"

Verse 11: "And I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father… [no other name] …keep them in Your name… [Father; not a Hebrew sacred name] …those whom You have given Me, so that they may be one, even as We are one."

Verse 21: "That they all may be one, even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, in order that the world may believe that You did send Me.

Verse 24: "Father, I desire that those whom You have given Me may also be with Me where I am, so that they may behold My glory, which You have given Me; because You did love Me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world has not known You…" (vs 24-25)

That's why they think they have to use sacred names. They don't know Him!

What do you think is the most important thing that God is looking for from us? A broken spirit and a contrite heart in repentance!

"Righteous Father…" all the way through!

• Do you find in any of the Epistles of the Apostles—any of them—any sacred names other than Father and Jesus Christ? No!
• Could Paul have written in Hebrew? Absolutely!
• What proof do we have? Acts 22!

Remember when the mob was coming to kill him because he was teaching Christ? These were those who supposedly had believed in Jesus and were at the temple. But they still clung to all of their ritual laws! They wanted to kill Paul. The Roman soldiers rescued him, and just before he was taken up into the fortress, Paul asked the captain if he could speak to the people:

So, Paul stood up on the porch and began to speak to them. When he spoke to them in Hebrew, they became silent! Could Paul put Hebrew words in the New Testament in his epistles any time? Yes! Did he? No!

• he didn't write anything in Aramaic
• he didn't write anything in Hebrew

Wherever those words are used there's always an interpretation! There are very few places. Sacred names are not required.

• a repentant heart
• a humble mind
• a yieldedness to God
• your faith and belief in Christ and His sacrifice

is what God requires!

So, anyone coming to you using sacred names, tassels, or phylacteries… This is necessary because there are so Messianic Jews coming along who want to try and bring their version of a gospel and get everybody all focused in on what they want.

What happens is they generally end up wanting to control everyone through the sacred names. That's why God used the Greek!

There are other things we can add to it, but we won't take anymore time with it.

Philosophy

There are a lot of people who believe that they need philosophy, they need wisdom and you can go to any of the leading colleges and they will teach you about Aristotle and Pythagoras and all of the different philosophers. You will find out that Catholicism is pure philosophy!How did that get started?

There are a lot of smart people in the world, a lot smarter than we are, why didn't God call them? Because they're infatuated with their knowledge.

Let's understand what Paul did when he went to Athens. Athens was the center of the Greek religion. They had the big temple there, which there's a copy of it in Nashville, Tennessee today, the Parthenon! They had discussions about God and time, everything! There were those who thought that they should 'eat, drink and be merry,' and those who thought like the Stoics—the others were Epicureans—and said that 'we have to beat the flesh. The only way we can get rid of evil is beat the flesh.'

So, Paul came there and he told them that he had come into their city and saw this inscription on this memorial to the Unknown God. Paul said, 'Since you don't know him, I'm going to tell you about Him!' Then he preached Christ and the resurrection.

The Greeks always want to know wisdom and knowledge. I saw a special on Pythagoras who went to Egypt to find out all the mysteries of the Egyptians. All of the mysteries and philosophies of the Egyptians was satanism, including the technology, and some of that we don't know anything about. But we can understand this:

In the excavations and digging up of all of these graves and temples in Egypt, and also Central America and other places, you're digging into what God destroyed because of their sins! Also, think about going into some of these big caves that they dug underground, what to they have in there today so you can see what they have put on the walls? They run electric lights down there! Don't you think that they had some form of electricity when they did all of the drawings and inscriptions down there in the tombs?

So, Pythagoras was one of the leading ones in Athens. The Greek specialized themselves; they were smart. They have philosophers and have figured everything out. So, here comes Paul! Let's see what Paul says right at the first.

1-Corintians 1:17: "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel… [he did a few baptisms there] …not with the wisdom of words…"

If you can have poetry, symmetry, and the Greek language is subject to that, it's something very special/

"…not with the wisdom of words…" Greek for wisdom is 'sophia' and philosophy is 'philia sophia'—lover of wisdom; these are the words and wisdom of men!

"…lest the cross of Christ be made void" (v 17).

This is what it was in Greece. The dichotomy between what was being preached and what was thought of as wisdom and philosophy was like a great chasm.

Verse 18[transcriber's correction]: "For to those who are perishing. the preaching of the cross is foolishness…"

That's the same today. If you go to any of these well-educated and important people and say that 'your wisdom is lacking the knowledge of God'! Oh well, the Bible is full of lies and it's just written by men!'

"…but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God" (v 18).

Think about that! Coupled with the Holy Spirit, the words of God bring you the power to be converted! The power of God!

Verse 19: "For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise…'" It's all going to come to nothing!

• Have the wise ones been able to solve our problems?
• Did Adam and Eve solve their problems when they ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? NO!

• IF you don't have God
• IF you don't have the Spirit of God

You can have the education of the world, the highest you can ever have, and you're still an ignorant fool!

"…and I will nullify the understanding of those who understand. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age?.…" (vs 19-20)—step forth and show your cause!

Think about it today! Just as an example, I've been wanting to have the James Webb telescope website on my laptop and Jonathan came over and put me on that so I could see some of the pictures that they're taking, and they are awesome. I saw some vast new pictures of the universe never before seen. The number of stars and galaxies are innumerable. There are all colors of blue, red, yellow, and different shades in between.

Then there was a section: Watch the Sun for 133 days. So, I turned to that section of it, and what the sun does and the way that it works is awesome! So, the wisdom of the wise of this world says that it all evolved!

The simplicity of the Word of God says, I, God, have created it! What the sun does is so magnificent, it is unreal!

"…Did not God make foolish the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its own wisdom did not know God…" (vs 20-21).

 'We don't need God we'll do it ourselves.' Isn't that what Adam and Eve said in the face of God? God, don't tell us what to do, we'll figure it out ourselves, we're smart! God says, 'Go ahead!' How did that work out? After 1500 years what did God have to do all the descendants? Eliminated them with the Flood, because they were evil!

"…it pleased God to save those who believe through the foolishness of preaching" (v 21).

That's what they look at the Bible as! It's amazing! They think they're smart in doing it! Yet, all of them believe in evolution cannot even produce one—not even one—missing link! If there was evolution there would be missing links everywhere!

Verse 25: "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

God chose those who were willing to hear and repent and believe God!

Verse 26: "For you see your calling, brethren, that there are not many who are wise according to the flesh, not many who are powerful, not many who are highborn among you."

Do we have any Senators? ex-Presidents? No!

Verse 27: "Rather, God has chosen the foolish things of the world, so that He might put to shame those who are wise…"

If you learn the wisdom of God and you learn the way of God, you're smarter than all of them! Though they still look down upon you as being stupid, because you didn't go to their schools and weren't accepted by them! Who would you rather be accepted by: them? or God? By God, and they call that foolishness!

"…so that He might put to shame those who are wise…"—because the day will come at the resurrection and they're going to have to confess that they were ignorant in all their wisdom!

"…and God has chosen the weak things of the world so that He might put to shame the strong things. And the lowborn of the world, and the despised has God chosen—even the things that are counted as nothing—in order that He might bring to nothing the things that are; so that no flesh might glory in His presence" (vs 27-29).

That's why Job had to be humbled the way He was! Job thought he could teach God a thing or two! Well, that lasted long enough until God came and spoke to him in a whirlwind, and said:

Job, come here, I have a word for you. I want you to answer this question: Where were you when I laid the foundation of the world, if you're so smart? After all, you only did what I commanded! Then you take all the credit to yourself!

That's going to be the message to all of the 'smart' people when they're resurrected!

1-Corintians 2:4: "And my message and my preaching was not in persuasive words of humanwisdom… [or philosophy] …rather, it was in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; so that your faith might not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Now we speak wisdom among the spiritually mature; however, it is not the wisdom of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing" (vs 4-6).

You would think that Trump learned that lesson. Wasn't he brought to nothing? A lot of people think that if Trump gets in we're going to have a reprieve. Really? I don't think so!

Sidebar (speculation): If Trump gets in, they're going to hang everything on him! So, wait and see.

Verse 7: "Rather, we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom that God foreordained before the ages unto our glory."

As Michael Heiss pointed out in his message—Seek First the Kingdom of God—God had all of this planned way, way ahead of time!

Verse 8: "Which not one of the rulers of this world has known (for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory)."

Let's grasp all of this: I think after seeing some of those fantastic pictures from the James Webb telescope website and seeing out there billions of light-years away. Think about this: When God stood there with Abraham and said: 'Look up to the stars and count them if you're able to number them.' Abraham's perspective was very small.

But when God said, 'So shall your seed be,' it was more like what we can see now what we can see from the James Webb telescope, the vastness of the universe is almost inexplicable. How could that possibly get there without a Creator?

That's what God saw! Abraham didn't see that! But this is what God was looking to.

Verse 9: "But according as it is written, 'The eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'"

Speaking of love, next week I'm going to bring a message on the perverted love of this world! But by the very fact that:

• you keep God's Sabbath
• you have His Holy Spirit
• you have His Word
• you live by His Word

God loves you and you love God! This is a two-way thing every day in our lives!

Verse 10: "But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things—eventhe deep things of God." We understand things that other people don't know!

• How many know what God is going to do for all these poor human beings that knew nothing and were cutoff from God and deceived by Satan the devil?
• What is God going to do with them?

Well, the Bible shows there's a second resurrection!

• How many people in the world even have a clue as to what that means? Very few indeed!

Verse 11: "For who among men understands the things of man except by the spirit of man, which is in him? In the same way also, the things of God no one understands except by the Spirit of God."

So, the very fact that you know and understand means that you have the knowledge that the world does not even comprehend. In their present state cannot comprehend!

Colossians is really important because it shows that those who were coming into the Church at Colossi and Laodicea, and they were bringing the teachings of men that sounded like they could be attached to the Gospel that Paul was preaching! Isn't that what people always try and do? They get something in the Bible and then they try to improve it, because they're 'smarter than God!' They don't think that way, but that's what it is.

Colossians 1:23: "If indeed you continue in the faith grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which you have heard, and which was proclaimed in all the creation that is under heaven; of which I, Paul, became a servant."

That tells us a lot. We have to be:

• faithful
• steadfast
• hoping in Christ
• hoping in God

all the time!

Verse 24: "Now, I am rejoicing in my sufferings for you…"

Let me just interject right here: If you think you're suffering bad, go read 2-Cor. 11 and ask yourself, 'Have I even done one of these things that Paul went through?' Think of this: he was beaten three times with rods, 39 stripes! If anybody has been beaten with one stripe, please send me an e-mail or letter and let me know.

"…and I am filling up in my flesh that which is behind of the tribulations of Christ, for the sake of His Body, which is the Church; of which I became a servant, according to the administration of God that was given to me for you in order to complete the Word of God" (vs 24-25).

That's quite a statement right there. He knew he had to be part of completing the Word of God. The New Testament was canonized by Paul, Peter and John! God did not leave it to the early Church fathers. Those were the invaders and philosophers coming into the Church later to change the Gospel! That's the fullness of what the Catholic Church is today!

Verse 26: "Even the mystery that has been hidden from ages and from generations, but has now been revealed to His saints; to whom God did will… [this is the will of God the Father to every single one of us[ …to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the Hope of glory" (vs 26-27). The Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of Christ (John 14).

Verse 28: "Whom we preach, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom… ['sophia'—the wisdom of God] …so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

That's what God wants! The perfection of Christ!

Verse 29: "For this cause I also labor, striving according to His inner working, which works in me with power."

Now we come to a major problem of philosophy, and we will see where philosophy leads to. Look at what is happening today. Is this not coming from all of the philosophically educated people of the world?

Colossians 2:1: "Now, I want you to understand what great concern I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding… [you comprehend] …unto the knowledge of the mystery… [having knowledge of the Truth of God through His Sabbath and Holy Days] …of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in Whom are hid… [in  God, in Christ] …all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (vs 1-3).

That's quite a thing! It comes from God with His Spirit given to each one of us!

Verse 4: "Now, this I say so that no one may deceive you by persuasive speech."

We're going to notice the way that Paul has written this. Here's a statement of Truth concerning God and Christ, and then a warning about deception!

• Why would he say, "…so that no one may deceive you by persuasive speech"?
• How many times do you hear things that are very persuasive that are really not from God?

or

• They sound like they are from God, but aren't?

That makes it doubly more difficult to understand!

Verse 5: "For though I am indeed absent in the flesh, yet, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, be walking in Him… [this tells us what we need to be doing] …being rooted and built up in Him, and being confirmed in the faith, exactly as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving" (vs 5-7).

• this is a positive thing we need to do
• this is what we need to practice

Now v 8 gives another warning! So, this must have really been quite a thing that was coming into the Church:

Verse 8: "Be on guard…"—meaning always be alert! There's a word in the Greek that is translated keep, but it also means:

• to protect
• to guard

That's in relationship to the Truth!

"…so that no one takes you captive through philosophy…" (v 8).

Oh, that was an interesting speech! There was something really profound in what was said!

Then you ask them, 'What did he say?' I don't remember, but it was good!

"…through philosophy and vain deceit…" (v 8

What was one of the main deceits? That Jesus possessed a man and when the crucifixion came, the man died and but not Jesus!

If you don't know the Truth of the Scripture, you might say that sounds interesting. That's called Docetism!

"…according to the traditions of men… [their teachings and philosophies] …according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ" (v 8).

• What does this also tell us? Go clear back to Gen. 3!
• Where did this start? With Adam and Eve!
• Doing what? Eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil!

The only way that they became like God was to decide for themselves what was right and wrong, good and evil! You hear that today! Some people say, 'I don't want anyone telling me what to do, I'll decide for myself.' How many times has that ended in disaster? Over and over down through the centuries! "…the traditions of men according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ."

This gives you an inkling of it in v 9 through philosophy they were trying to say that the Gospel was incomplete! That you needed the Greek philosophy to make it complete.

Verse 9: "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him, Who is the Head of all principality and power" (vs 9-10).

You don't need to get in contact with lesser powers! Those are demons!

• there are religious demons
• there are nice demons
• there are evil demons

They are all sinning against God!

Verse 11: "In Whom you have also been circumcised with the circumcision not made by hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ"—circumcision of the heart!

That is taking away the hostility of your mind toward God and His Law!

Verse 12: "Having been buried with Him in baptism…" Read Rom. 6. What does that tell us about baptism? We were conjoined to the death of Christ! Think about how a powerful relationship that that is. Conjoined! I liken it to when we're baptized we are laid on the body of Christ for the forgiveness of sins! I don't know how else to interpret the word conjoined. It was like all the sins of all the people were put on Christ when He died, which is true!

Verse 12: "Having been buried with Him in baptism, by which you have also been raised with Him through the inner working of God, Who raised Him from the dead. For you, who were once dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has now made alive with Him, having forgiven all your trespasses. He has blotted out the note of debt…" (vs 12-14).

This is what is; this verse in the KJV is awful translation, and the Protestants have an awful misinterpretation of it. They say that God nailed the laws of the Ten Commandments to the cross. What was nailed to the cross? Christ and the sign in three languages: This Is The King of the Jews. Nothing else was there!

Verse 14: "He has blotted out the note of debt against us with the decrees of our sins…"

In other words, in our mind and heart ever sin you have ever committed has been written there. Everything you've ever done has been written there! In conversion:

• What is to happen to us? We're to have renewing of mind!
• How does that come about? With God's Spirit!

He has to erase those things in our mind, and some of them are very difficult to erase. Some of them keep coming back, and we need to have them erased again!

You can look back in your own life, the older you get you look back and you remember certain things that happened. Only God can take that away! Only God can remove that with His Spirit!

Verse 14: "He has blotted out the note of debt against us with the decrees of our sins, which was contrary to us; and He has taken it away, having nailed it to the cross. After stripping the principalities and the powers, He made a public spectacle of them, and has triumphed over them in it" (vs 14-15). He has conquered all of Satan and all the demons!

Verse 16: "Therefore, do not allow anyone to judge you… [this could also be condemn you] …in eating or in drinking, or with regard to a Festival, or new moon, or the Sabbaths.:

• Why would that be there?
• Why were they coming after them?

Verse 8: "Be on guard so that no one takes you captive through philosophy… [the religion of men] …and vain deceit according to the traditions of men…"

So, they come along—here they were living in a Greek society—Paul comes and God calls people.

• they quit going to the Temple of Zeus
• they quit going to the Temple of Athena
• they quit hanging out with all the philosophers
• they forsake all the religious practices of the Greeks

Before they were living in them! Now, all those who see them not doing it, and they think they're right…

What is similar to that today? 'Oh, you keep the Jewish Sabbath, and the Jewish Holy Days!' NO! We don't! But in the vanity of their philosophies, in the vanity of their way of explaining life and everything else, all of the gods that they have, which are all demonic and satanic. They look at what they are doing and they were judging and criticizing them and saying, 'Why are you doing this.'

Verse 16: "Therefore, do not allow anyone to judge you in eating or in drinking…"

You mean you won't eat pork anymore? You used to love that bacon and stack it on your sandwich!

When God was calling me I was chef in what was called Sandy's Kitchen and I would come to work in my shift would begin at 4 o'clock and I would go to midnight, because I was going to college in the daytime.

I would come in a little after 3 o'clock and I would make myself a bacon and tomato sandwich. Since I worked there I could put on as much bacon as I wanted. I fried it crisp, lots of mayonnaise, tomatoes, lettuce, rye toast—it was delicious! But during the shift working I would have urppies. When I quit eating the pork, it quit. 

"…or with regard to a Festival…" (v 16).

You mean you keep, what's that you keep; it's what? Passover? Unleavened Bread? Who ever heard of such a silly thing?

To the world, that's foolishness! To God what they're doing is stupidity! I have yet to see a fat man come down a chimney with a big bag of toys to give it to kids!

Then we have Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and in all the 'foolishness of God' contains the Plan of God of what He's doing! In their philosophy and great education, they don't know thing! But they think they're the smartest in the world! Just ask them! They'll tell you, and they're sneer at you and say, 'What college did you go to? Ambassador what?

"…or new moon… [Calculate Hebrew Calendar because it's singular] …or the Sabbaths" (v 16)—all the Holy Days!

So, here we are on the Sabbath Day and what are we learning? The knowledge and understanding of God!

Verse 17: "Which are a foreshadow of the things that are coming…"—that tells you what God is doing!

Some asks you what God is doing, you can say, 'If you have 20 minutes I can give you a quit rundown!' they ask, 'What are you doing with your Pentecost? The only ones I know of are shouting and yelling, jumping up and down and having a hoopla! What do you do?'

"…but the Body of Christ" (v 17)—meaning the Body of Christ gives us understanding!

Now notice what philosophy leads people to do, and we see it today:

Verse 18: "Do not allow anyone to defraud you of the prize by doing his will in self-abasement and the worship of angels…"—satanic or demonic angels!

Every time someone bows down to a cross, bows down to a statue of 'Mary' or a statue of 'Jesus,' you're bowing down to a demon!

"…intruding into things that he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his own carnal mind" (v 18).

That's what happens! They get so self-righteous! Oh, he had a vision! Could Satan give you a vision? Of course, he could give you a vision!

You'll never know what happened when I bowed down at St. Peter's Basilica with the cross of Jesus up there. Something just came over me and it was so thrilling!

It was a demon! That place is the headquarters of religious demons of a false Jesus! They want you so they will give you a great experience! When that happens:

Verse 19: "And not holding fast to the Head, from Whom all the body, being supplied and knit together by the joints and bands, is increasing with the increase of God. Therefore, if you have died together with Christ from the elements of the world…" (vs 19-20).

How? You die through baptism! That's what it's talking about!

"…why are you subjecting yourselves to the decrees of men as if you were living in the world?" (v 20)—and Paul lists some of the things that they have! Some of the things that they did!

Verse 21: They say, 'You may not handle! You may not taste! You may not touch!' The use of all such things leads to corruption, according to the commandments and doctrines of men" (vs 21-22).

That's what we're seeing take place in the world today! Go on Church at Home {churchathome.org} and watch the five segments on Satan out of the Closet! That will tell you what's happening, and what it's leading to.

Everything in these last days is leading up to the one-world government and beast that is coming and being formed right now.

Isaiah 8:16: "Bind up the testimony… [the New Testament] …seal the Law among My disciples.'… [the meaning of the N.T. and the laws of God are found in the disciples of God, through Christ] …And I will wait upon the LORD, who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will trust in Him" (vs 16-17).

Verse 18 shows us about the Church. Isn't it interesting how it's written. Here's one verse that applies to the whole Church. Isaiah put this in here to contrast with what comes after that.

Verse 18: "Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given Me… [Christ speaking] …are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion. And when they shall say to you…" (vs 18-19).

This is what they're saying today with all the things that they are doing. We're not fighting against Protestantism or Catholicism, we're fighting against satanism and demonism, and the worst kind of practices in gender changing that could possibly happen. They don't believe in God and they're happy to worship Satan openly.

Verse 19: "And when they shall say to you, 'Seek unto them that have familiar spirits…

Isn't that Paul wrote in Col. 2 to guard against? The worship of falling angels or demons?

"…and to wizards who peep and mutter but should not a people seek unto their God? Should the dead be sought on behalf of the living?" (v 19).

That's what we're seeing today all around us. Nothing but demonism!

Now contrast it; here's the way to avoid all of that; v 20: "To the Law and to the Testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no Light in them."

Remember what Jesus said of the end-time? There would come many false prophets and false Christs and do signs and wonders to deceive the elect!We're right in the middle of that! There's not Light in them! Here's a result of what they do:

Verse 21: "And they shall pass through the land, hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall rave and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look to the land; and behold, trouble and darkness and gloom of anguish! And they shall be driven away into darkness" (vs 21-22).

That's what we're seeing take place now because they're leaving God! They have the philosophies of men, philosophies of the religions of this world, and this is where it's heading.

Paul told us to stay steadfast in the Word of God, in the love of God, and that's what it's all about! This helps us understand what's going on in the world today!

Scriptural References:

• Luke 23:38
• Matthew 1:18, 23, 25
• John 17:1, 3-6, 11, 21, 24-25
• John 1:1
• 1 Corinthians 1:17-21, 25-29
• 1 Corinthians 2:4-11
• Colossians 1:23-29
• Colossians 2:1-16, 8. 16-22
• Isaiah 8:16-22

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Acts 2
• Hebrews 7
• Acts 22
• 1-Corinthians 11
• John 14
• Genesis 3
• Romans 6

Also referenced:

Message: Seek First the Kingdom of God by Michael Heiss
Church at Home {churchathome.org} Satan out of the Closet

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 7/19/23

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