12/06/03 E-Clipz (NewsClipz) by Truth On the Web Ministries

Truth On The Web

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E-CLIPZ
 An E-zine For The Church Of
God

Issue Date: 12/06/03

Informing and edifying the people of God on topics of
interest such as the United Nations, the NWO, the ecumenical movement, the
feminizing of God, the apostate church(es), notable quotations, historical
events and other relevant and sometimes irrelevant subjects which otherwise
"eclipse" the truth. Jeremiah 10:2 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. -- Electronic Clipz, Everything Clipz, Edifying
Clipz, Evangelizing Clipz, El Clipz, Etcetera Clipz ... but you can call
it E-Clipz ...Bringing light to those in darkness. Luke 1:79 To give light
to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death ...

 For
a free subscription to Truth On The Web
Ministries E-Clipz send
an email to:
TruthOnWeb@aol.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sabbath Blessings, One and All,

We have foregone the usual weekly format of the NewsClipz (as we have done
for some years now at this season) to bring to some information about the
worldly celebration called "Christmas" or "the mass of Christ." Many people,
especially those considered religious, will try to dismiss the facts and
writings in these pages. They will use human arguments to justify that the
tradition of Christmas handed down from their fathers is okay for today's
Christian. Yet we read in The Acts of The Apostles 5:29
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said,
We ought to obey God rather than men.

Mark 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the
tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other
such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the
commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

God said in Deuteronomy 12:30-32 Take heed to thyself
that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from
before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did
these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt
not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which
he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their
daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever
I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish
from it.

Yet some men, even those who in their mind think they do good, embrace traditions
of mere men that do not really honor God. They only pay Him "lip-service"
and contradict God's admonishment to not add to His words and break His laws.
Matthew 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why
do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For
God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth
father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say
to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be
profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free.
Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your
tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth
me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain
they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of
men.

These preachers and teachers will tell you it is okay to celebrate Jesus's
birth. The truth is well-documented that Jesus was not born in the winter
season. The truth is the bible tells us to commemorate His death annually
by observing the Christian Passover. The truth is well-documented that the
trappings of today's Christmas are not from God but from pagan tradition
considered idolatrous by God. The truth is God tells us what days to observe
and tells us not to add to His words. A Christian should trust in God - not
men.

1Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand
in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. ...  

1Co 3:18 ¶ Let no man deceive himself. If any
man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that
he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with
God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own
craftiness.

The scriptures hold warnings against any traditions, customs, precepts, or
laws that are in opposition to, contradictory to, that nullify (or do
away with) God's commands as written in the scriptural record. These customs,
rituals, practices are inventions and traditions of men -- alone, apart
from God. We must be cautious of the emptiness of the traditions of
men passed down through time ... even those from our own forefathers or elders.
 

1 Peter 1:18-19, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were
not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your
vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot:"

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you
through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after
the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

We see that Jesus and His early disciples warned strongly against any tradition
or law that caused any transgression or nullification of God's laws. For
more on the topic of Christians using The Bible as God's authorative Word
see our article on the principle of Sola Sciptura titled:
Scripture & Tradition
of God Vs Tradition of Men Over Scripture at
http://members.aol.com/kenhoeck/sola.html

---------------------------------

Saturnalia/Brumalia Season

Well, its nearly that time of year when people will partake, most in ignorance,
of the revelry of the ancient celebrations of the Saturnalia and Brumalia
in what is today called Christmas. The ancient celebration of the return
of the sun complete with the ancient pagan trappings and painted Christian
veneer can be read about online at the following pages of notes & quotes
that we call -

"The Truth
On Christmas:
The X-Mas
Files":

http://members.aol.com/KHoeck777/NwsClpz/xmasvol1.html
: X-mas Files Volume One

http://members.aol.com/KHoeck777/NwsClpz/xmasvol2.html
: X-mas Files Volume Two

http://members.aol.com/KHoeck777/NwsClpz/xmasvol3.html
: X-mas Files Volume Three

http://members.aol.com/KHoeck777/NwsClpz/xmasvol4.html
: X-mas Files Volume Four

http://members.aol.com/KHoeck777/NwsClpz/xmasvol5.html
: X-mas Files Volume Five

These pages are chock-full of quotes about the truth from a wide-variety
of sources, including major encyclopedias, the Catholic church, various
Protestant sects, John Calvin, John Knox, Charles Spurgeon, colonial lawbooks,
and more! Some of the quotes you may read include these:

"Upright men strove to stem the tide, but in spite
of all their efforts, the apostasy went on. till the Church, with the exception
of a small remnant was submerged under pagan superstition. That Christmas
is a pagan festival is beyond all doubt. The time of the year, and the ceremonies
with which it in celebrated, prove its origin". ... "Those who follow the
custom of observing Christmas, follow not the Bible, but pagan
ceremonies". ~ C. H. Spurgeon

"During the first three centuries (of the church) we
find no trace of any feast for the birth of Christ." (Frederick Neilsen,
Ecclesiastical History, p.224)

In June 1647, England Parliament , headed by Puritans passed legislation
abolishing Christmas and other holidays: "Forasmuch
as the feast of the nativity of Christ, Easter, Whitsuntide, and other festivals,
commonly called holy-days, have been heretofore superstitiously used and
observed; be it ordained, that the said feasts, and all other festivals,
commonly called holy-days, be no longer observed as festivals; any law, statute,
custom, constitution, or canon, to the contrary in anywise not withstanding."
- Daniel Neal, The History of the Puritans (London, 1837; rpt.
Minneapolis: Klock & Klock, 1979), Vol. 2, p. 458.

The Catholic Encyclopedia states, "Christmas was not
among the earliest festivals of the Church...the first evidence of the feast
is from Egypt." "Pagan customs centering around
the January calendars gravitated to Christmas."
 "the word for Christmas in late Old English is
Cristes Maesse, the Mass of Christ, first found in 1038, and Cristes-messe,
in 1131." "...In the Scriptures, no one is recorded
to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his [Jesus] birthday. It
is only sinners who make great rejoicings over the day in which they were
born into this world" -Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911 Edition

Cardinal Newman admits in his book that; the "temples, incense, oil lamps,
votive offerings, holy water, holidays, and seasons of devotion, processions,
blessings of the fields, sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (of priests, munks
and nuns), images, and statues... are all of pagan origin." -The Development
of the Christian Religion, Cardinal Newman p.359

"The practice of decorating houses and churches is pagan in its origin, and
the mistletoe so widely used for that purpose was the sacred plant of the
Druids." [Everymans Encyclopedia.Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1967.]

"That God's word ****s your ceremonies, it is evident; for the plain and
straight commandment of God is, "Not that thing which appears good in thy
eyes, shalt thou do to the Lord thy God, but what the Lord thy God has commanded
thee, that do thou: add nothing to it; diminish nothing from it" Now unless
that ye are able to prove that God has commanded your ceremonies, this his
former commandment will **** both you and them."~John Knox's History of the
Reformation in Scotland

The position of the Scottish Church was reaffirmed in 1566. Theodore Beza
wrote to Knox, requesting Scottish approval for the Second Helvetic Confession
(1566). The General Assembly in Scotland replied with a letter of general
approval. Nevertheless, the Assembly could scarcely refrain from mentioning,
with regard to what is written in the 24th chapter of the aforesaid Confession
concerning the "festival of our Lord's nativity, ... passion, resurrection,
ascension, ...that these festivals at the present time obtain no place among
us; for we dare not religiously celebrate any other feast-day than what the
divine oracles prescribed."- In Knox, Works, Vol. vi, pp. 547-48. The same
position is expressed in the Second Scotch Confession (1580), which rejects
the "dedicating of kirks, altars, days."

George Gillespie (1613-49) rests his case on the second commandment. "The
second commandment is moral and perpetual, and forbids to us as well as to
them the additions and inventions of men in the worship of God." Therefore,
"sacred significant ceremonies devised by man are to be reckoned among those
images forbidden in the second commandment."- Gillespie, Part 2, pp. 118,
84; cf. 86.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holding Fast Deceit

In Charles Dickens tale " A Christmas Carol", we can
all remember the catch phrase of Ebeneezer Scrooge: " Christmas: Bah, Humbug!"
At the time this unholy work was penned, Christmas was still not accepted
by the Christian world as it is today (see 6 Clippings above ). This story
was wholly designed to 'domesticate' the papal-made/pseudo-Christian holiday
and remove the resistance that the last remaining anti-papists held. Along
with promulgating the false doctrine of the immortality of the soul, this
tale, embraced by millions, concocted by Dickens, had undertones designed
to ridicule those people who were not keeping Christmas because they knew
of its abominable pagan origins and undertones. ...And it is utilized the
same way today ... how many of you have been called a "Scrooge"? Let's look
up the definition of what old fictitious Scrooge was trying to tell us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merriam Websters definition:

hum*bug (noun)- [origin unknown]
First appeared 1751

1 a : something designed to deceive and
mislead

b : a willfully false, deceptive, or insincere
person

2 : an attitude or spirit of pretense and
deception

3 : NONSENSE, DRIVEL

synonym see IMPOSTURE -- hum*bug*gery (noun)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

So we see Scrooge's real message was : Bah, Christmas,
something designed (by the papacy) to deceive and mislead!

We agree with Old Scrooge" Christmas:
Bah, Humbug!"

Deuteronomy 32:17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they
knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

-----------------------------------------

Tell It To Your Friends & Family

A good outreach tool for introducing the truth about this idolatrous festival
is the article
Christmas: The Greatest
Story Never Told - at http://members.aol.com/KHoeck2/Christmas.html -
found on the TOTW website written by a former Chicago-area CoG congregation
headed by Harold E. Cormany [current minister of Herald Ministries in Sandwich
Ilinois]. This is an excellent introductory article for a friend who may
be willing or already starting to see the truth of these matters.

----------------------------

Other Seasonal Texts

Some related seasonal editorial articles may be read at

Should We Celebrate The Nativity? at
http://members.aol.com/KHoeck2/Birth.html

and When Was Jesus Born? at
http://members.aol.com/KHoeck2/Timing.html

----------------------------

Counterfeit of Light?

1 Corinthians 10:20-22 But I say, that the things
which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and
I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the
cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's
table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are
we stronger than he?

SANTA CLAUS COMPARED TO JESUS CHRIST

1. Has white hair like wool - Revelation 1:14 - Daniel 7:9

2. Beard-curly and white  - Isaiah 50:6 - Rev. 1:14

3. Comes from North Pole - Ez. 1:4; Ex.26:35 Psa.48:2

4. Omniscient-knows about all  - Revelation 19:6

5. Ageless, eternal - Rev. 1:8,21:6; Hebrews 13:8

6. Makes List of Judgments - Rev.20:12; 14:7; 21:27; 2 Cor.5:10

7. Checks list twice  - Dan. 8:14; Matt. 10:26, 1 Cor.5:10

8. Gifts given on basis of a list  - Matt.25:21; Rev. 21:27; 22:14

9. Christmas rewards once yearly  - Leviticus 23:26-32

10. Confess wrongs to Santa - I John 2:1, I Tim. 2:5

11. Promise to be better next year  - John 14:15,21; 15:10; I Jn.
2:3

12. Asks children to obey parents - Eph. 6:1; Prov. 6:20; Col. 3:20

13. Hour of his coming a mystery  - Luke 12:40; Mark 13:33; Matt.24:36

14. Rudolph's shining nose to guide  - Matt. 2:2,7,9-10; Numbers
24:17

15. Calls children to his knee  - Matt. 19:14, Luke 18:16

16. Be good for goodness sake - Matt. 19:17; Col 1:29; Phil. 2:13

17. Has a twinkle in his eye - 17. Rev. 1:14, 2:18

18. Swift visit to whole world in 1 day. - 2 Peter 3:8; Rev. 18:8, Isa.
47:9

19. Omnipresent-Found in every mall - Psa. 139:7-10; Eph. 4:6

20. Says "Ho,ho" - Zecheriah 2:6

2 Corinthians 11:1-4, "Would to God ye could
bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous
over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that
I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means,
as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should
be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh
preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye
receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or
another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear
with him."

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CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

Email: TruthOnWeb@aol.com

HOLYDAY INTRODUCTION

Leviticus 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and
say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim
to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

**** If you are new to the faith or the truths about holidays of men Vs the
Holydays of God, or if you just want a more solid foundation for your beliefs,
then you may want to read or pass on an excellent TOTW article titled
Bulletin-Date="Sat, 06-Dec-03 08:55:07">Should I Be Observing the Biblical
Holydays?  at http://members.aol.com/kenhoeck/whyfeast.html

Proverbs 30:5-6 Every word of God is pure: he is a
shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his
words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

------------------

More Quotes

“A broad element of English Christianity still considered
Christmas celebration a pagan blasphemy. The Puritans, Baptists, Quakers,
Presbyterians, Calvinists and other denominations brought this opposition
to early New England and strong opposition to the holiday lasted in America
until the middle of the 18th century.” ~ 12/23/83 USA TODAY article
about Christmas

Henry Ward Beecher, a Congregationalist, wrote in 1874 of his New England
boyhood: “to me Christmas is a foreign day, and
I shall die so. When I was a boy I wondered what Christmas was. I knew there
was such a time, because we had an Episcopal church in our town, and I saw
them dressing it with evergreens, and wondered what they were taking the
woods in the church for; but I got no satisfactory explanation. A little
later I understood it was a Romish institution, kept by the Romish Church.”

The Mass is the preeminent feature of Christmas
celebration. "In the Roman Catholic Church three masses are usually said
to symbolize the birth of Christ eternally in the bosom of the Father, from
the womb of Mary and mystically in the soul of the faithful." The concept
of the Mass is embedded in the English term Christmas, its etymology being
traced to the Old English words Christes maesse, meaning "the mass or festival
of Christ." ~ James Taylor, "Christmas," in The New International
Dictionary of the Christian Church (J. D. Douglas, ed.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1974), p. 223.

-------------------

Poet's Corner

Let's Take Christ Out Of X-Mas

(a poem -author unknown - attributed to The Conversion Center
-a ministry to Roman Catholics)

Because it is that time of year, this verse
has come your way, To tell you why I can't condone this pagan holiday.

"Merry Christmas" is a phrase you'll hear this
time of year, Expressing heartfelt sentiments to those you hold most dear.

Let's "Keep Christ in Christmas" is another
timely phrase, It's Satan who is glorified - Beware his subtle ways!

Jesus is "The Reason for the Season" some folks
say, And yet the scriptures teach Christ wasn't born on Christmas Day!

For God declares the 25th was not our Saviour's
birth, Yet saved and unsaved on this day rejoice with equal mirth!

You can't mix children of the dark with children
of the light, And expect this fornication to be pleasing in His sight!

But men love darkness more than light is what
the scriptures say, And so they've tried to christianize this total heathen
day!

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, No truth is of
a lie, So celebrating Christmas time His "True Church" will not buy!

Men call this season holy, then chock it full
of lies, Could this be of the Holy One, or just a mere disguise?

When men call something holy, you had best beware,
Satan's at the heart of it, countless souls to snare!

Can you believe the Christmas season with its
drunkenness and mirth, Gives honor to our Saviour to recall His holy birth?

Do you believe that every place that sports
a Christmas tree, Abortion clinics, banks and bars are Christianity?

Whose birthday did it celebrate before our Saviour
came? It's still the same old festival, someone just changed the name!

It's Nimrod's birthday party, always was and
'ere will be, Think of this, dear Christian, as you decorate your tree!

For long before dear Jesus came, this holiday
was kept, From Babylon into the church this season slowly crept!

Satan shakes his fist at God, "What fools these
mortals be, I told you I'd deceive them and they would worship me!"

Ole Satan takes a scripture truth and mixes
it with lies, "You'll spend eternity with me!" the old deceiver cries.

But Christ declares from majesty, "I've still
a faithful few, Who are awake and will not bow nor bend their knees to you!"

God seeks those who'll worship Him in spirit
and in truth. For many, this means we must reject the lies taught from our
youth!

The standard is not set by men, but set by God
alone, And only those who follow it will sit upon the throne!

God is One Who won't be mocked, He's weary of
our ways, Of taking pagan festivals to call them holy days!

They say if we remove the lies from all this
Christmas fun, We'll soon end up with nothing to remind us of God's Son!

Like Santa Claus, "He's coming, kids!" 
They never bat an eye, But God sees this for what it is, It's just a Christmas
lie.

Santa's elves make all these toys, and Santa's
reindeer fly, He knows the good girls and the boys, another Christmas lie!

In case you haven't figured out, his demons
pull that sleigh, And Santa is really Satan, just spelled another way!

And for the more "religious," how about some
"sacred lies"?The Saviour's born to mankind, so we'll all see paradise!

Makes no difference how we live, or what we
do and say, God wouldn't send a man to Hell, it's not the christian way!

Jesus born in Bethlehem on Christmas long ago,
Freezing shepherds grazing sheep in the December snow!

Christmas hymns and natal scenes, as holy as
they seem, Cleverly are part of this hellish Christmas scheme!

"Jingle Bells" and "Silent Night" led many souls
astray, But now you have a glimpse of how God views this heathen day!

Holly, bells, and mistletoe, and toasts of Christmas
glee May leave you with a hangover in Hell eternally!

Candles, lights and Christmas trees are pagan
to the core, And befit not one washed by the blood but flaunted by the "*****."

Don't fall for this deception, I pray you'll
come to see, The white horse of Apocalypse is bearing down on thee!

There is no truth in Christmas, it's just a
pack of lies, "Presents" from the evil one with hopes your soul he buys!

Of many "false Christs" we are warned, most
in the pulpits be, Beware when they say:  "Come!  Let's carol round
the Christmas tree!"

The "secret" of the Lord's with those who fear
His holy Name. If you really are a Christian, cease from this worldly game!

Luke 16 tells the story, verse 13 is specially
true, You cannot serve two masters, choose today which one for you!

"We're saved, it doesn't matter" you may hear
some preacher say; But all will find out differently when comes the judgment
day!

If you were blind He could forgive, but since
you say you see, The consequences you will reap for all eternity!

In vanity you worship Him, traditions for to
keep, Protesting barks and oinks I hear aren't coming from the sheep!

In Revelation 3:16 the fate of many lies, Not
bold enough to take a stand, they yield to compromise!

And then they wonder why He says, Lukewarm! 
I'll spue thee out! They've let the standard so far down they may not hear
this shout!

Every Word of God is pure, and we must be the
same, Let's seek to reach this standard and be worthy of His name!

The Pilgrims would not celebrate this day the
world holds dear, They boldly stood against it, sound in truth they did not
fear!

My friend, if you love Jesus, if He reigns within
your heart, Forsake this Christmas garbage, and refuse to take a part!

For one day soon we'll give account for all
we've said and done, Have we stayed steadfast in the Lord, or bowed to Satan's
fun?

If you really want to please your Lord, refrain
this wicked way, Love and honor His holy Name each and every day!

Bow your head and ask the Lord, "Forgive me,
I have strayed, I've worshipped Christmas idols, Into their hands I've played."

"Oh!  Father, we cry out to Thee in these
last dangerous days, Give us strength and courage to repent our evil ways!"

If you don't know the Saviour, and you're sick
of all your sin, Just open up your heart's door, For He's promised to come
in.

Repent!  And He will wash your sins much
whiter than the snow, When you take on His righteousness, to Heaven you will
go.

Don't wait until you're good enough, that good
you'll never be, Let Jesus save your wretched soul, He sets sin captives
free!

You cannot offer anything to One Who is all
wise, Cain's offering was evil, Abel's was the prize!

The foolish count on works to place their souls
in paradise, But the good works of Christmas, even these will not suffice,

No matter how you care and give, how lavishly
you bestow, Won't keep you from that fiery fate prepared for you below!

And giving gifts to needy folks, you think rewards
may bring, But all your works mean nothing lest you serve the King of Kings!

In Matthew 7 verse 22, and also 23, Show "holy
works" done "In His Name" Can be iniquity!

It's those who hide behind a mask, doing works
for all to see, That may impress their fellow man, but fail to well please
Thee!

So before you do another work, before comes
end this day, Think long of who is glorified when Christmas games you play.

Jesus Christ, the Holy One, Righteous, Pure,
and True, I won't put Christ in Christmas to dishonor Him, should you?

------------------

A final word:

Please deal with people of the world as you want to be dealt with. Conviction
will come of a willing heart and the holy spirit's lead. Do not smite your
fellow man with the truth in condemnation but offer the truth in gentleness
and humility of the spirit. And, most of all, in the love that flows from
God the Father and Christ Jesus, through the spirit, to ultimately produce
fruit of righteousness in you. Little children, Keep yourself from idols.

---------------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Remember our Lord died upon a tree - don't make an idol out of one."

"Have a Restful 7th Day Sabbath"

Love to you all in Christ Jesus ~ Kenneth M. Hoeck

Truth
On The Web
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