Sermon - Christmas, Easter and Lent

Sermon on

Christmas, Easter and Lent

By Brian Pepper

Every year it seems as if Christmas is becoming more and more commercialized. Long before December arrives the large departmental stores begin to stock up with Christmas presents and to dress their windows accordingly.

Strangely enough most people accept December 25th as the birthday of Jesus. They feel that they are doing honor to the Son of God in celebrating this time of the year as the anniversary of His birth.

But countless thousands are being fooled by the Devil, for the author of evil has played such a cunning trick on humanity that the majority of people in the world today have accepted the cleverest substitution that has ever been made.

Why is Christmas Celebrated on December 25th?

Have you ever thought about this question of Christmas? Have you ever wondered why it is kept on December 25th?

Let us read Luke 2:8, "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night."

Did you notice that they were "abiding in the fields by night." In other words they were sleeping out with the flock. If this was December 25th then that would mean that they were sleeping out during the middle of winter. At this time, rain, hail and snow up to twelve inches deep are common.

Dr Adam Clarke, Bible Commentator, says that the cold is so intense at this time that it would kill both beast and man. So you can easily see that it certainly was not December 25^th.

In Luke 3:21-23, it records that when Jesus was baptized He "began to be about thirty years of age”. He was baptized about the time of His birthday. This would be about September or October. Why has not God preserved the date of Jesus’ birth? The answer is that God evidently did not intend it to be of great importance.

First Celebration of Christmas

We find that the celebration of Christmas did not enter the Christian Church until about the 4th and 5th centuries after Christ.

Well how did this December business start? It all goes back to Paganism. Today we find that truth and error are so cunningly mixed together that it takes a lot of sorting out before we can arrive at a positive appreciation of what is truth.

Nimrod the Mighty One

In Genesis 10:8 we read, "And Cush begat Nimrod and he began to be a mighty one in the earth.” Other translations say, "He became a despot."

Nimrod set up a counterfeit system to the truth of God.

In Genesis 10:6-12 is recorded the origin of Babylon. It declares that a man called Nimrod was its founder. He was the first man to conquer other people and to build them into an Empire. His name means "rebellion" and the Bible clearly indicates that he was an extremely wicked rebel against God.

In Genesis 11 we are told of how he led out in the building of the Tower of Babel and the city of Babylon. Yes Nimrod set himself up as a dictator.

In verse 10 of chapter 10 it says, "And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel.” The margin says, "Babylon."

In Revelation 14:8 God warns about "Babylon" and its teachings. "And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon, is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,"

Babylon the Counterfeit Religion

You see the Bible is really the story of two cities, Babylon and Jerusalem. Babylon is a devil-inspired organization. The real king of Babylon is none other than Satan himself, the king of rebellion.

Isaiah 14:13 says, "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."

Satan determined that he would have a system of worship, a false religion, a counterfeit religion where people were led under the guise of worship to depart from the truth of God.

This false worship began with the worship of the sun, and later on included the other heavenly bodies. Here was the beginning of idolatry.

In Psalms 106:35-37 we are told this worship is none other than the worship of Satan. "But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,”

Sun worship is Devil worship. And so we have Nimrod setting up a counter felt religion down there in Babylon.

A Tale of Two Cities

But God took a man out of Babylon, out of Ur of the Chaldees and placed him there in Canaan to represent the truth of God.

Genesis 11:31 says, "And Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan...."

And from Abraham, came the city of Jerusalem. As I mentioned earlier the Bible is really the tale of two cities, Babylon and Jerusalem. They run through to the last book of the Bible. For in that last book, the Book of Revelation, you read of the doom of Babylon and the exultation for ever of the New Jerusalem. In those two cities are centered two different kinds of worships; one the very truth of God and the other the counterfeit of Babylon. God took Abraham out of Babylon and used him to establish the truth of God in this earth.

Babylonian Religion Went to Rome Via Pergamos

When the city of Babylon finally went down the Babylonian priests fled to Pergamos in Asia Minor.

When the Romans conquered Pergamos they were very obliging and accommodating. They would just take and adopt any God at all, placing its image in the Pantheon of Rome. If the Jews had possessed an image to their Jehovah they would have taken His image and put it there in the Pantheon.

However they did take the religion of Pergamos and adopted it very largely in Rome. That is why, in the Book of Revelation, talking about Rome and Pergamos it says, "Where Satan's seat is." That system originated in Babylon, then was transferred to Pergamos, and then to Rome. It was none other than the religion of Satan. It was a counterfeit of the truth of God.

Remember this, the Devil always aims at having whatever God has. If God has a religion then he is going to have a religion. Away back in the beginning when he rebelled against God he said, "I will be like the Most High.” If God has a Church then he will have a church.

Satan Has His Own Church and Ministers

Perhaps you do not know this but we are told In Revelation that the Devil has a church. Revelation 2:9 last part says, "…and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan."

In 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 it tells you that not only does the Devil have a Church but also minister of religion. Ministers who pose as Ministers of religion.

Great Battle of Ages Between True and False Religion

The great battle of the ages has been between truth and false religion. The most dangerous thing on this earth is not no religion. Atheism is not so much of a problem to the truth of God. The most dangerous thing is a counterfeit religion that operates as the truth of God while leading men to darkness. That is the most dangerous thing.

And it is that system of religion that originated back there in Babylon behind which was the great Master rebel himself.

Why is Rome Not Mentioned in Bible Prophecies?

Rome is never mentioned in the prophecies of the Bible but Babylon is. Why? Because Rome was really a continuation of the system of religion that originated in Ancient Babylon. God refers to Rome all the way through as Babylon.

If you were to pick up the Roman Catholic Bible and turn over there to the Epistle of Peter you will find that where it mentions Babylon they have in the margin "Rome." You turn to Revelation 17 in the Catholic Bible and where it mentions Babylon they will tell you it means Rome. So you can see, here is something on which both Catholics and Protestants are agreed.

The Babylon of the Book of Revelation is nothing else but Rome. Why? Because she adopted the very system that originated back there in Babylon as the great counterfeit of the truth of God. Behind the paganism of Babylon was Sun Worship.

I Will Be Like the Most High

I want you to notice Isaiah 14:12. Here is a verse that is very interesting. "How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer... how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.

"I will be like the Most High." Satan intended to exalt himself and to set up a religion that would be the very counterfeit of the truth of God.

A Religion Based on Sun Worship

Now, do you have a marginal reading for the word "Lucifer," "Daystar." Now you go outside on a clear day and what is the only star you see shining? The sun! The sun is a star and stars are suns. Lucifer meant "Daystar," the great star that you see shining in the day. And the Devil set up a religion that was centered in sun worship.

All through the Old Testament you will find that when the people of God drifted away into Paganism they drifted into Sun worship. Baal worship was only sun worship. Behind the worship of the sun was the worship of the Devil.

Now God called Abraham out of Babylon and to set up the truth of God. All along the way God calls people out of Babylon.

Ishtar, the Mother of God

We find that after Nimrod’s death, his queen Semiramis, also called Ishtar, became the leader of Babylon and further developed this religion. Semiramis was a beautiful but immoral woman. Under her were invented the "mysteries" of sun-worship. These were secret rites which were a cover for the immoral practices that took place in connection with this religion.

She claimed that Nimrod’s spirit had ascended to the sun. This of course gave great impetuous to the direct worship of the sun.

The people were led to look upon the sun as the great life-giver, the author of all fruitfulness or reproduction. Sun worship developed into sex worship.

The Counterfeit Messiah

History tells us that Semiramis gave birth to an illegitimate child. It is claimed that this child was fathered by Nimrod --the Sun god, that this birth was a virgin birth, that this child was a reincarnation of Nimrod, or in others words the "son of god!"

And so we have Satan introducing a counterfeit Messiah.

Of course Satan understood the prophecies and he knew that the Son of God would come and be born of a virgin. So centuries beforehand he invented this counterfeit Messiah.

The name of this child was called "Tammuz.” Other names given to him were "Lord," "mediator," "Saviour," and "Lord of the Covenant." These names were the names of the true Messiah.

It was claimed that Semiramis was the "mother of god."

I want to assure you that before we get through this lecture you will see that Christianity is just riddled with Paganism.

Tammuz, the Sun God

Come over to Ezekiel 8:13. Israel had drifted away into idolatry and God raised up Ezekiel to preach a message of warning to that people. He gave Ezekiel a glimpse of their abominations and their paganism. "He said also unto me, turn thee yet again and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then He brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’s house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz."

Tammuz was the Babylonian name for the Sun god, and when they worshipped Tammuz they made the sign of Tammuz. But when the Babylonians made a T for Tammuz they made it in the form of a cross.

The Sign of the Cross

The cross T is the first letter of the word "Tammuz" and this letter was used in connection with the worship of the false Messiah.

The sign of the cross was made in every prayer. The ring on the cross represents the sun.

History tells us that the pagans offered sacrifices to the sun by nailing human beings into crosses, facing the east or the sun. Thousands were nailed on crosses after a great battle at the time of Alexander the Great.

And Satan inspired the Jews to crucify Jesus as a sacrifice to the sun-god, who was Satan himself.

But Satan’s purpose was brought to nothing for God blacked out the sun.

Worshipping Toward the East

Going back to Ezekiel 8:15,16 it says, “Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
16. And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.”

Here they had turned their backs on the truth of God and were down on their knees worshipping the sun towards the east. And when is the sun in the east? Early in the morning--- is that not so?

Sun-Day

They worshipped the sun towards the east and dedicated the different days of the week to their gods.

The first day was dedicated to their main god, Sun-day. Early on Sun-day morning they would get up bowing and worshipping toward the east.

Have you ever seen people getting up early on Sunday morning and getting along to church? Have you ever wondered where it originated from?

Yes, and they made the sign of the cross the sign of Tammuz. They put the sign of the sun around it, cross within a circle. Have you seen Churches with something like that on the top?

It was the same system of religion that brought Sunday into Protestantism. That is where it came from.

Turn to Ezekiel 6:4. "And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken…” The margin reading says "Your sun images" shall be broken. God was opposed and very hostile to them.

Origin of December 25th

As the Christians were endeavoring to win the pagans, and the pagans to a man were Sun-worshippers, they found the pagans worshiping the birthday of the sun on December 25. You see Tammuz the false messiah was born on December 25th.

Centuries before Jesus was born the sun-worshippers celebrated this day with feasting, drunkenness, revelry and immorality; which by the way explains why these things are associated with Christmas today.

Yes December 25th was kept by the pagans hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Did you know that? Not as the birthday of the Son of God but as the birthday of the sun.

In fact I notice here from the Encyclopedia 11th Ed. that it says, "In Britain, December 25th was a festival long before the conversion to Christianity."

The old Druids, a sun-worshipping cult in the British Isles, kept and looked to December 25th as the birthday of the sun, long before they ever heard of Jesus. The Yule log was used when they sacrificed fire to the sun god.

When those early priests went in and found the pagans worshipping the sun on December 25^th they said, "Don’t call it the birth day of the sun - call it the birth day of the Son of God."

Origin of the Christmas Tree

Here is something else that is very interesting. Somebody asked me, "Where did the Christmas tree come from?"

You listen to this written way back long before the time of Jesus, as the people of God were drifting into Paganism. Jeremiah 10:1-3 says, “Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs (the margin says “statutes or ordinances” of the people are vain…"

You see they had a system of religion: ordinances, holy days. They had a counterfeit of the truth of God. God says that this is vain worship, useless worship.

Now listen to this, verses 4,5: ".. for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil…

They deck the tree with gold and silver and they set it up like a palm tree. Ever see them doing that today? Yes, way back there in their worship of the sun on December 25^th they not only had the Yule log, their big dinners and drink, but they would go out into the forest, cut down a tree, set it up and deck it with their ornaments. Don’t you see it? Very simple is it not.

The Queen of Heaven

Now here is something else that is very interesting and this time in Jeremiah 7:17. "Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven…”

They tell us that the Virgin Mary is the “queen of heaven," but the only time when you will find that expression in the Bible is when it is talking about sun-worshipping paganism, and there they exalted a woman to the skies and worshipped her as the mother of god. They were baking cakes away back there to the “queen of heaven."

Hot Cross Buns

Tammuz was the Sun-god and there was the mother, or the woman, and her name was Ishtar.

When they baked their cakes to the queen of Heaven they always made them round with the sign of the sun stamped on them.

They made hot cross buns hundreds of years before Jesus was ever born as a babe in Bethlehem.

Now you do not have to think very long before you can see that Easter has nothing to do with the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus. If it was the anniversary of the crucifixion of Jesus it would fall like your birthday on a certain date every year. Now is that not so? But it doesn’t. They arrive at it by the moon, is that correct? So you see the King of Heaven was the sun. The Queen of Heaven was the moon.

Easter Eggs

Have you ever wondered what Easter eggs have to do with the resurrection of Jesus? Nothing at all. Listen to this from the Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 5 p.227: "A great many pagan customs celebrating the return of spring generated in the Easter."

Now as you know the egg is the Symbol of the generation of life of early spring. That is where your Easter eggs come from.

Around the world the rabbit is well known for its powers of reproduction and this is what it signified in sun-worship. Likewise the egg; it is a symbol of fertility. It all comes from paganism.

Lent

Do you know before the pagans baked their cakes to the Queen of Heaven they had a 40 days fast? Ever heard of the 40 days of Lent that precedes Easter? You can read the Bible from cover to cover and you will not find any 40 days fast just before the crucifixion of Jesus.

But the pagans back there had a forty day fast before they celebrated their worship to Ishtar, when they baked their cakes to the “Queen of Heaven."

Ishtar in the Chaldean is Easter in the English. They called it the very same name.

As Christianity drifted away from the truth of GOD they were anxious to bring in the pagans. But instead of making the pagans Christians, they drifted right into paganism and ended up in the Dark Ages.

Why Fish on Fridays?

From time to time people ask how is it that some people do not eat meat on Fridays and why is it that they have fish. They ask "What is the significance there?" There is no religious significance at all none whatsoever. This is one thing they did not get from paganism.

In the olden days strict laws concerning diet were not only laid down by the Christian Churches but were also enforced by Parliament.

At one time the only days during Lent that meat could be eaten were Wednesdays and then only on strict conditions that there was at least three times as much fish as meat on the table.

In 1563, everyone eating meat on a fast day was fined £3 or put into prison for 3 months. The strange thing is that these regulations were not made in any spirit of Religious fervor but to help the fishing industry.

In these modern times Friday is fish day. In the Middle Ages the Church, as in Italy today was the greatest Landowner. It also controlled many of the industries, and back in the Middle Ages the fishing industry run by the Church in the British Isles, was having a very hard time. So to give it a real boost they enforced the eating of fish at certain times. That is the way to help business, is it not?

They still have only fish or non-meat diet on Friday. That is where it came from. There is just no religious significance whatsoever.

Why is the Wafer Round with IHS Stamped on it?

If you were to go along to communion in the Church of Rome they will give you a piece of bread that is always round. There are Catholics and ex-Catholics who will bear me out that the wafer is always round. Look at it and you will find I.H.S. stamped on it. You say "What does that mean?" They will say different things; among them "I have suffered."

However, it is very significant that if you go back into Egyptian paganism, hundreds of years before the time of Christ, they too, worshipped their god with a round wafer with I.H.S. stamped on it. Then, those letters referred to their three leading gods: Isis, Horus and Seb.

It is too much of a coincidence when professed Christians have the same thing, always round, and the same three letters. So you see Christianity adopted paganism to the letter.

Message to Come Out of Babylon

And so that is why in the last message to this dying world to get a people ready for the coming of Jesus, God says, "Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins."

This falling away from the truth has resulted in Modern Babylon and God says that He will destroy it.

Remember that there are two cities in the Bible: Babylon the mother of harlots, and Jerusalem the city of God. The choice is ours. Let us get clear away from Babylon, so far that we will find ourselves right inside the New Jerusalem.