If you were a home builder, would you discard the blueprints that the architect drew up and attempt to build the house without the use of the owner’s planned design? That would be ridiculous, to be sure!
The bible speaks of believers in Messiah as the temple of God. In I Cor 3: 9-10, Paul tells us that we are God’s building and he is a master builder, laying the foundation, which is Christ. Our lives are to be built upon Christ, the true foundation upon which our entire walk in Him is held together. Ephesians, chapter 4 explains that believers make up the body of Christ. Each member of the body, with the gifts he or she is blessed with, serves the entire body…why? Verse 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
Heb 3:4-6 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Notice that Moses was a faithful servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after. God revealed to Moses his plan, his blueprint for bringing salvation to mankind. He did it through shadow pictures, types and symbols that represented the reality. He was given the revelation of the coming Messiah through the design of the tabernacle in the wilderness and through the Torah, the Sabbath and the annual holy days. Today, much of this knowledge has been lost because we have been led to abandon these revelations as old, done away with, no longer valid, or replaced with some so-called “New Testament” theology.
Modern Christianity has discarded the original blueprints that God presented to Moses and attempted to build the “house of God” with an inferior design and building materials that will be rejected by the master builder. I Cor 3: 12-13 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
II Cor 6:16-18 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Most Christians today have been fed a steady diet of pagan customs, traditions and teachings that bear no resemblance to the revelation of God and we know it not. When I was a child, I was taught the accepted ways of “Christianity” as it has been handed down for generations before me. Why would I question when everyone did the same things? When I was donned in the garments of witches or ghosts and sent out to proclaim trick-or-treat, or told the fabled story of Santa or sat in the kitchen dying Easter eggs with mom, did any of that seem odd to me? Why would it? These customs were endorsed by Church, school, family and neighbors. The malls were decked out with all the necessary items associated with each holiday, TV shows abounded with themes representative of the seasons as they came year after year.
It wasn’t until I grew up and had already begun my own family that I came to see the reality. I began studying the scriptures in earnest and very slowly, one step at a time, was introduced to the real teachings of my bible. I researched and studied and questioned, and I was appalled and sickened by what I discovered. I had been deceived, as all have been. I had read the book of Revelation which revealed Satan to be the deceiver of all mankind, but I had never before saw to what depths he would go to infiltrate the very worship of those who proclaimed belief in the Messiah, those who desired to follow him and live a life worthy of his calling.
From the beginning of time, God has warned those who would follow him that they were not to imitate the ways of the heathen, or to inquire as to how they worshipped their gods and do so unto him., the Creator God. They were to be separate and holy unto Him. Israel never fully obeyed and as time moved on, their descendants were merged with the pagan nations of the world and adopted the ways of sun-god worship. We are the recipients of that form of religion today. We have unwittingly abandoned the ways of our Creator and have created our own ways, all of which have their origins in the ancient religions of sun-god worship. Will we wake up and face the truth?
Jer 2:8 The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.
Jer 16:19? O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
Will we always be as the prophet wrote? Isa 30:9-10 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Jer 5:30-31 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
I pray that each Christian today will seek truth for themselves, that they will study the Word and cleave to that which is true, no matter the cost. I pray that each one will ponder the customs and traditions that we have clung to for so long and ask themselves if these things prosper, or are they just recycled pagan worship that has been stamped with the “Christian” seal of approval?
