“Goosebumps” “This do in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19 & 1st Corinthians 11:24-25) Why do we remember Jesus? What about Him are we to remember? We are to remember His death, burial, and resurrection, are we not? What did Jesus want us to use to remember Him? Based on the above scriptures, I submit to you we are to use His last supper, and not bunny rabbits and eggs. I know many will consider this lesson to be out of season. Nevertheless, it is a lesson that is needful for many in a lost and dying world. So, from where did the idea for an annual celebration, instead of weekly, arise? From where did bunny rabbits and eggs make their appearance in the religious world? Both came about from the same source. Look at the following name with me in various languages: Easter (Modern English) Eastre (Anglo-Saxon/Old English) Ishtar (Babylonian) Ashtaroth (Hebrew) Astarte (Greek) We can obviously see that “Easter” and “Eastre” are the same. They are from the same root language. Why do I say the rest are the same name? What is so special about this name? Astarte is the Phoenician and Greek “fertility goddess.” Ashtaroth is the Hebrew name for the Canaanite “fertility goddess.” Ishtar is the Babylonian “fertility goddess.” Eastre is the Anglo Saxon “fertility goddess.” All of the above are the same designation, for the same being, in different languages. This is Semiramis, Mother of Nimrod (from the Tower of Babel), the supposed “Queen of Heaven.” (Note: this is the same title many want applied to Mary, the mother of Jesus, today. This title has been used since the days of Jeremiah 7:18 & 44:17-25.) Think about it, for what are rabbits most famous? I won’t answer that in the presence of little ears, but should we use something so base and primal and call it worship of Jesus? Is it not logical that rabbits and eggs would be the symbols used to worship the fertility goddess of whichever land where one may live? There is evidence, in abundance for any who will seek, that such is the case in all cultures since the days of Babylon. Knowing what you now know, you can plainly see all of the names apply to the same person, and we know worship of “The Queen of Heaven” (Ashtaroth) and her son Nimrod (Ba’al) is opposed to following God (Judges 2:13). Now, we return to remembering Jesus rather than a fertility goddess. Acts 20:6-7, “And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” This was after the days of unleavened bread. This was after the Sunday commonly celebrated as Easter today which was also celebrated by the pagan Herod (because it was already celebrated in the realm of Caesar) the only time the English word is used in Scripture (Acts 12:3-4). Yet, Paul knew the saints at Troas would be meeting on each Sunday to take the Lord’s Supper. This was the very reason they met in the first place, as it is for us. This was a weekly remembrance. It was not an annual event. Even catholicism claims the Lord’s Supper is a regular event. They just claim, contrary to God’s Word, by their actions, that the Lord’s Supper is not the memorial of Christ as God says, but rather they think it is the sacrifice given for yet another time among many. I submit to you this question. Should we celebrate the resurrection of Christ the way Christ says? Or, should we worship a fertility goddess, lying to the world and ourselves, calling it remembering Jesus? You must decide whether you will follow God or man. You cannot follow both. You cannot celebrate Ishtar and be a Christian. But, Ishtar Sunday is still the first day of the week. Regardless of what those lost in the world do or think, we should still gather to obey Christ. Worshipping Ashtaroth in this manner is not praising Jesus, but rather tearing down both Him and His Sacrifice, wanting to use something else in its place. Following His commands are the praises we owe. I had a short conversation with my eldest daughter a few years ago. The topic was “goosebumps.” I mentioned that I often get goosebumps when partaking of Communion. She didn’t seem to understand why. I told her it was because of the depth of meaning held in the memorial feast; remembering the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I want us to all take a deeper look at just what it is we do when we eat that small bit of bread and drink that small bit of juice. 1st Corinthians 11:23-29, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” We need to remember, the Lord was observing the Passover when He instituted this feast. Of the many parts required in the Passover observance (bitter herbs, lamb, etc.), Jesus took two items for use: unleavened bread (the bread of haste, Deuteronomy 16:3) and fruit of the vine. Above, we see the meaning assigned to these emblems by our Lord. We, also, see the seriousness of the issue. We need to ensure we participate in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24), as this is a part of our worship, being in the kingdom (Matthew 26:29). 1st Corinthians 11:21, “For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.” We are not to be greedy with it. Acts 20:6-7, “And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” At least 2 weeks after the Passover (days of Unleavened Bread), Paul knew the living saints in Troas would be assembled to break bread on the first day of the week. Israel knew the sabbath was a weekly observance because they were commanded to keep it, and every week had a sabbath. Likewise, every week has a first day. This phrase has the same grammatical construction. This observance is therefore weekly. To observe it either more often or less often would either be going beyond that which is written, or detracting from it. Either case brings us under the condemnation of Galatians 1:8-9. Many insist this weekly observance detracts from the meaning of the memorial. This is used as a justification for laziness, as well as trying to distance themselves from their mother, catholicism. Well, catholicism got this one partly right: “often” means “often.” Many ignore the teaching of God in favor of daily, monthly, quarterly, or even annual observances. In light of scripture, I must disagree with them. God wouldn’t command something so serious to be done often (1st Corinthians 11:26) if doing so would make it no longer serious. In my personal experience, in the 42 years I have partaken, it gains even more meaning with the better understanding of scripture, which comes with age and practice. This is the reason I still get those goosebumps when I partake, especially if a good, teaching song on the subject is led prior to the observance. My favorite is, “Night with Ebon Pinion.” Matthew 26:17-29, “Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Judas betrayed Jesus immediately after this feast. We need to remember that betrayal. Jesus suffered from this time forward until His crucifixion. This feast marks the beginning of what is known as the Passion Period. We need to remember the suffering. Jesus received 351 deep gouges on His back from the scourge finished with stone, glass, and metal. We need to remember the scourging. Jesus had thorns (probably about two inches long) not just placed upon His head, he had that crown beaten down with a stick. We need to remember the crown. Jesus had rough-hewn nails, the size of railroad spikes, driven through His wrists and feet. We need to remember the nails. Jesus had His side pierced with a sword. Jesus screamed in agony when His Father turned His back. We need to remember Jesus suffered in our place, and how severe it really was. We need to remember the broken body of our Lord. We need to remember all of the sources of the blood that was spilled to keep us from Hell. We need to remember these things often. We need to be constantly reminded of our eternal destination. If we are left to our own devices (Proverbs 14:12), we will not make it. To do this, we all need to eat the bread and drink of the cup as commanded; not just a select few people getting the full supper. Jesus made a promise, as well. The kingdom is here (Matthew 16:18-19 & Colossians 1:18). Every time we partake, we have the assurance that Jesus is present, if we are, in fact, in the church. Communion is serious business. It needs to be treated as such with absolute silence and reverence as each person partakes. Think of these things each time you partake. With the seriousness of this solemn memorial, and God having specified the emblems (unleavened bread and fruit of the vine), we have no right to add “burgers and cokes,” or substitute anything else, on our altar. Likewise, we have no right to rename it or reschedule it. In Scripture, it is called nothing else than “communion” (1st Corinthians 10:16), and the Lord’s Supper (1st Corinthians 11:20). Calling it something else (eucharist?), or using something else, would bring us under the condemnation of Galatians 1:8-9. And, I have no idea what possessed one group of people to place the image of Ra, the sun god, on its wafers. This was totally blasphemous. With a deeper understanding of the meaning, perhaps thinking about it as you partake will cause goosebumps in you, as well. Communion is a beautiful thing, and it is only done properly in the kingdom. How does one enter the kingdom, where he can be with Jesus during this time? 1. You must first hear in order to be saved: Romans 10:17 2. You must believe Jesus is the Son of God in order to be saved: Romans 10:17 Luke 8:13 John 1:12 John 8:24 John 20:31 3. You must repent in order to be saved: Luke 13:3, 5 Acts 3:19 4. You must confess that Jesus is Christ in order to be saved: Luke 12:8 Romans 10:9 1st John 4:15 Acts 8:37 5. You must be baptized (not rhontized) in order to be saved: John 3:5 Mark 16:16 Acts 2:38 1st Peter 3:21 Galatians 3:27 6. You must remain faithful unto death in order to be saved: Revelation 2:10 1st Timothy 4:16 1st John 2:24, 25 My friends will you not consider the way of God rather than the way of man?
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 17:41:25 +0000
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