As we come to the final days of Passover when we celebrate the Risen Christ and as I journey into a deeper study of the Christian faith, I find myself learning many eye opening truths that were never taught to me by my church leaders since youth. Truths that I did not teach my children & have not taught grandchildren because I failed to explore Christian doctrine outside of the church teachings.

For the 1st time in my life, I did not decorate for the Christmas season last December & for the 1st time, I am not decorating nor celebrating an Easter,”Estore”, season either. Why? Well, let’s start with the words of Martin Luther …

“The world at the present time is sagaciously discussing how to quell the controversy and strife over doctrine and faith, and how to effect a compromise between the Church and the Papacy. Let the learned, the wise, it is said, bishops, emperor and princes, arbitrate. Each side can easily yield something, and it is better to concede some things which can be construed according to individual interpretation, than that so much persecution, bloodshed, war, and terrible, endless dissension and destruction be permitted.

“Here is lack of understanding, for understanding proves by the Word that such patchwork is not according to God’s will, but that doctrine, faith and worship must be preserved pure and unadulterated; there must be no mingling with human nonsense, human opinions or wisdom.”

“Estore” is a sun goddess worshipped by the pagans during the spring equinox. Bunnies & eggs are her signs of the fertility of mother earth. So the questions begged to be answered are, why did the Roman Catholic Papacy use the name of a pagan god to define one of Christianity’s most important events? Why are Christians all over the globe today still celebrating this pagan event at home & in the Church when God rebuked these pagan religious traditions?

When Judeo-Christian monks worked mendaciously to gain followers by destroying pagan history and defaming the elder gods as demons, they had no weapons to deface the innocence of Eostre. Instead, they adopted her holiday and attempted to graft their values onto it. As the Judeo-Christians could offer nothing better, they simply claimed what existed as their own, changed the story slightly, and then tried to cover up and break people’s connection to the past.

“Ostara, Eostre seems therefore to have been a divinity of the radiant dawn, of upspringing light, a spectacle that brings joy and blessing, whose meaning could be easily adapted to the resurrection-day of the christian’s God. – Jacob Grimm, “Teutonic Mythology”

2 Corinthians 6: 14-16 tells us …

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

The resurrection is about baptism, the immersion into the waters, as a sign of renewel & rebirth of the life of Christ. The Bible no where speaks of bunnies & eggs. The Lord does tell us is that many will come, but few will enter His gates …

^“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”

When the Pilgrims first settled in American, these pagan customs were banned. These celebrations were deemed unlawful. The Christian Pilgrims had fled Europe for a land in which they could establish Christian communites based on the biblical teaching of Jesus Christ. They wished to shred every heresy & pagan doctrine forced upon them by the Roman Catholic Papacy & the English Church, who had become nothing more than Religious Political & Military entities, that ruled with an iron fist & who kept their people under oppression. In Constantine’s plight to rid the world of paganism, instead of banishing these pagan customs, the Church adopted them as Christian theocracy thinking that they could rid the world of them by giving these pagan customs a Christian definition. In 2 Corinthians 6: 17, we hear His command as to aligning the Church with pagan customs…

” Therefore,  COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord.”AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you”

Now, what does this say of modern Christianity when so-called Christians still cling to pagan traitiditions? It says that paganism is alive and well in the churches of all religions across the globe. The message it sends to me is that Christian churches must cling fast to pagan traditions in order to fill the pews so that they can keep their political & religious military alive. So that they can keep their monetary coffers filled to the brim.

If the Christian churches wished to truly celebrate Passover & Eternal Life through the resurrection of Christ, a more befitting celebration would be to usher in a season of global Baptism. A season of renewal & rebirth through cleansing. The washing away of the old so that one may arise with the new.  Now, that’s a MESSAGE!

How glorious a sight would that be, to see thousands Baptized the same way they did during the times of Christ. This is what Passover & Pentecost is about. Isn’t it about time Christians start standing for the truth instead of continuing to partake in pagan customs? The Scriptures give us the rule in no uncertain terms in Acts 5: 29 …

 ‘We must obey God rather than men’

So, as you gather  tomorrow with family & friends to celebrate, ask yourselves … what are you celebrating & how are you celebrating it?