PAGANISM IN MODERN CHRISTIANITY
I. FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, PAGANISM HAS CONTAMINATED GOD’S CHURCH.
II. REVELATION, CHAPTER 3: THE LAODICEAN CHURCH IS NEITHER SPIRITUALLY HOT OR COLD, BUT COMPLACENT.
A. IT WORSHIPS WEALTH.
B. IT IS SPIRITUALLY LUKE WARM AND NAKED.
C. GOD ADVISES THAT IT BUY GOLD (TRUTHS OF HIS WORD) TRIED IN THE FIRE (TESTED OVER TIME.)
D. REPENT.
III. EXODUS 31- ISRAEL WORSHIPS GOLDEN CALF.
A. ANY IDOL WORSHIP BREAKS FIRST COMMANDMENT.
B. ENGAGES IN SATANIC SEXUAL ORGY.
C. GOD’ WRATH STAYED BECAUSE OF MOSES’ PLEADING.
D. ISRAEL FORGOT THE MANY MIRACULOUS BLESSINGS THAT GOD DISPLAYED DURING THEIR RELEASE FROM EGYPT.
IV. EASTER EGG AND BUNNY- OF PAGAN ORIGIN.
A. RABBIT SYMBOLIZED FERTILITY.
B. EGG= SYMBOL OF LIFE.
C. H/ HEFNER USES BUNNY COSTUMES FOR HIS FEMALE MODELS, WHO ARE SEX SYMBOLS.
D. NOTHING IN BIBLE ASSOCIATING THE BUNNY AND EGG WITH CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.
V. STAR OF DAVID- OF PAGAN ORIGIN.
A. SOME CHRISTIAN GROUPS DISPLAY STAR OF DAVID.
B. OF OCCULT, SATANIC ORIGIN.
C. THE HEXAGRAM IS USED IN MAGIC, SORCERY, WITCHCRAFT, AND OCCULTISMS.
D. A FORMER SATANIST STATED THAT THE HEXAGRAM IS A POWERFUL TOOL TO INVOKE SATAN.
E. SOME SEE THE HEXAGRAM AS MEETING THE STANDARD OF REV. 13: 15-18, WHERE SATAN IS EQUATED WITH THE NUMBER 666. THE HEXAGRAM HAS SIX POINTS, 6 TRIANGLES, AND A 6-SIDED HEXAGON.
F. THE WORD “HEX,” TO PUT A SPELL ON ONE, COMES FROM THE SAME WORD.
VI. WEDDING RING- ORIGINATED IN BABYLON AND EVENTUALLY FOUND ITS WAY TO WESTERN EUROPE, AND ROME; IT WAS THEN ADOPTED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND KEPT BY MOST PROTESTANT REFORMERS. T
IT HAS NO BIBLICAL FOUNDATION.
VII. CHRISTMAS TREE:
A. JER. 10: 2-4- IDENTIFIES THE DECORATED TREE AS A PAGAN PRACTICE.
B. THE PAGAN ROMANS HAD A CELEBRATION ANNUALLY IN DECEMBER; THEY DECORATED TREES AS A PART OF THE SATURNALLA HOLIDAY.
VIII. SUN WORSHIP.
A. THE ANCIENT PAGANS HAD A SPECIAL WEEKLY DAY TO CELEBRATE THE SUN; THAT DAY WAS SUNDAY.
B. THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH TOOK THIS PAGAN DAY AND TRANSFERRED IT INTO CHRISTIANITY.
C. THE BIBLE IDENTIFIES THE 7TH DAY AS THE SABBATH. THE SEVENTH DAY IS SATURDAY, NOT SUNDAY.
1. THE SEVENTH DAY WAS SET APART AT CREATION AS A DAY OF REST.
2. THE SEVENTH DAY WAS REAFFIRMED IN THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT OF THE 10 COMMANDMENTS.
3. THE CHURCH OF ROME TOOK THE PAGAN DAY OF WORSHIP AND ATTEMPTED TO MAKE IT THE SABBATH OF GOD AND THE BIBLE.
CONCLUSION: THEREFORE, WE CAN SEE THAT MANY PAGAN INFLUENCES (AND THESE ARE NOT ALL) HAVE FOUND THEIR WAY INTO THE MODERN CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
LET US ASK GOD TO IDENTIFY ANY IDOL THAT WE MAY HAVE IN OUR LIVES AND PLEAD WITH HIM TO FORGIVE US AND GIVE US THE STRENGTH TO REJECT THESE PAGAN PRACTICES.
ONLY CHRIST CAN COVER OUR SPIRITUAL NAKEDNESS WITH HIS ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. MAY THIS OBJECTIVE BE OUR PRAYER AT THIS MOMENT.
BLESSINGS, DR. FILLMER HEVENER, PASTOR, GUTHRIE MEMORIAL CHAPEL (&) FOUNDER: THE HEVENER CHURCH.