Category: Devotionals

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Devotionals

Mithraism, Romanism, and December 25 (Part II)

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

Mithraism, Romanism, and December 25 (Part II)

“Jake Dowling, D.D., says: ‘There is scarcely anything which strikes the mind of the CAREFUL STUDENT of ancient ecclesiastical history with greater surprise, than the comparatively EARLY period at which many of the corruptions of Christianity, which are EMBODIED in the ROMISH SYSTEM, took their rise.’ – ‘History of Romanism,’ Book II, chap. 1, par. 1, p. 65.

“Christianity soon became so much like Mithraism that there was ONLY A STEP between them. Franz Cumont (who is probably the most informed man of our age on the subject of Mithraism) says of Christianity and Mithraism: ‘The two OPPOSED creeds moved into the SAME intellectual and moral sphere, and one could ACTUALLY PASS from one to the other WITHOUT SHOCK OR INTERRUPTION…..The religious and mystical spirit of the Orient had slowly OVERCOME the whole social organism and prepared all nations to UNITE  in the BOSOM OF A UNIVERSAL CHURCH.’ – ‘Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism,’ pp. 210,211. Chicago, Ill: Open Court Publishing Co., 1911.

“The Introductory Essay by Grant Showerman says: ‘Nor did Christianity stop there. It took from its OPPONENTS their own weapons and used them; the better elements of PAGANiSM were TRANSFERRED to the new religion [Mithraism + apostate Christianity= The Church of Rome].’ – Ibid, pp. xi, xii.

“It would be too long a story to trace the doctrines of Mithraism that were brought into the church. We must confine ourselves to our subject, Sunday-keeping. Mr. Cumont says further: ‘The ecclesiastical authorities [not Christ neither the apostles nor anywhere in the Bible] purified in some degree the customs which they could not abolish.’

‘The preeminence assigned to the DIES SOLIS [Sunday] by Mithraism also certainly contributed to the general recognition of Sunday as a HOLIDAY [among Christians].’ – ‘Astrology and Religion Among the Greeks and Romans,’ pp. 171,162, 163. NY: 1912.

“Sunday, over which the Sun presided, was especially holy…..The worshippers of Mithraism held Sunday sacred, and CELEBRATED THE BIRTH OF THE SUN ON TWENTY-FIFTH DECEMBER.’ – ‘The Mysteries of Mithra,’ pp. 167, 191. Chicago: Open Court Pub. Co., 1911.” – Facts of Faith, Christian Edwardson, pp. 99, 100. Southern Pub. Asso. Nashville, TN, 1943.

More tomorrow, God willing. Bless all, NMF 

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Devotionals

JUSTINIAN’S TREACHEROUS ROLE IN THE UPROOTING OF THE ARIAN VANDALS

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

JUSTINIAN’S TREACHEROUS ROLE IN THE UPROOTING OF THE ARIAN VANDALS

In his  deadly campaign using persecution to force pagans, Jews, and those they classified as “heretics,” to convert to Roman Catholicism, Justinian had help in this abominable work:

“John of Ephesus [not the John the beloved] was employed in this apostolate [yes, they called this activity an ‘apostolate’!]. He boasts that in 546 A.D. he gained 70,000 pagans in Asia Minor, including nobles, rhetoricians and physicians, and many in Constantinople. Tortures discovered these men, and scourging and imprisonment INDUCED them accept instruction and baptism.

“A Patricius named Phocus, hearing that he had been denounced, took poison. The Emperor ordered that he should be buried as an ass is buried. The pious [?] Emperor paid all the expenses of this Christian mission [!], and gave to each of the 70,000 Asiatics the white garments for their baptism and a piece of money.

“Other heretics were given three month’s GRACE. All magistrates and soldiers had to SWEAR that  they were Catholics. – ‘Studies in the Early Papacy,’ Dom John Chapman, p.222. London: Sheed and Ward, 1928, NY, Benziger Brothers.

The Vandals: “Justinian’s cherished aim was the reconquest of Italy by the Empire, but in order to succeed in this it was necessary to secure his rear by OVERTHROWING THE VANDALS and resuming possession of AFRICA.  – ‘The Barbarian Invasion of Italy,’ P. Villari, Vol. 1. p. 197.

“A PRETEXT for BREAKING HIS OATH OF PEACE with the Vandals soon presented itself. The Vandal government had oppressed the Roman Catholics  just as the Emperor, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE PAPACY, had oppressed the Arians. But when Hilderic came to the Vandal throne he, through the INFLUENCE OF HIS CATHOLIC WIFE, had restored the Roman clergy to their ancient privileges, and this has so displeased the Vandal leaders that Gelimer, a zealous Arian, had dethroned and imprisoned him, and reigned in his place. ‘A strong appeal was thus made to the piety [?] of the Emperor to deliver the true Catholic Church of the West out of the hands of the Barbarian heretics.’  -‘Medieval and Modern History,’ P.V.N. Myers, p.62. Boston. 1897.

“Justinian wavered for a time, fearing to attack this warlike Vandals, but a CATHOLIC BISHOP assured him of victory, claiming ‘he had seen a vision, in which commanded that the war should immediately undertaken. ‘It is the will of Heaven, O Emperor!’ exclaimed the bishop’- Ibid, p. 63.  (From “Facts of Faith,” Christian Edwardson. pp. 41, 42. Southern Publishing Asso., 1943.

Continued Monday. Have a blessed and restful Sabbath starting sunset tonight. Bless all, NMF 

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Devotionals

THE ‘MYSTERIES’ OF MITHRAISM COVETED THEN ADAPTED BY THE CHURCH FATHERS

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE ‘MYSTERIES’ OF MITHRAISM COVETED THEN ADAPTED BY THE CHURCH FATHERS

“Dr. J. L. Moaheim says: ‘The profound respect that was paid to the Greek and Roman [pagan, not divine] mysteries, and the extraordinary sanctity that was attributed to them, were additional circumstances that INDUCED the Christians to give their religion a MYSTIC AIR, in order to put it upon an EQUAL FOOTING, in point of dignity, with that of the Pagans. For this purpose, they have the name of ‘MYSTERIES’ to the institutions of the Gospel, and DECORATED  particularly the holy sacrament with that solemn title. They used in that sacred institution, as also in that of baptism, several of the terms employed in the Heather Mysteries and resembled them considerably in many particulars.’ – ‘History of the Church,’ (2 vol. ed.), Vol. 1, Cent. 2, part 2, par. 3, p. 67, NY, 1871..

“Gradually, as the church LOWERED its standards, many of the Greek scholars accepted Christianity (while they retained their heathen philosophy), and they carried with them INTO the church more or less of their FORMER viewpoint and teaching.

“Then as heathenism assailed the church, and the ROMAN government PERSECUTED it, these men, such as Origen, Tertullian. Justin Martyr, etc., wrote ‘Apologies’ and ‘Treatises’ to vindicate Christianity. They, however, sadly MIXED heathen sentiments with Christian doctrines, and the church GRADUALLY BECAME PERMEATED with the teachings of these men [called the ‘Church Fathers’ by the Church of Rome], who had now become the NEW leaders. Dr. Cummings says:

“The Fathers who were really most fitted to be the luminaries of the age in which they lived were TOO BUSY in preparing their flocks for MARTYRDOM to commit anything to writing…..The most devoted and pious of the Fathers were busy TEACHING their flocks;[while] the more vain and ambitious occupying their time preparing TREATISES. If all the Fathers who signalized the age had committed their sentiments in WRITING, we might have had a FAIR representation of the theology of the church [at that stage].’—‘Lectures in Romanism,’ p. 203, quoted in ‘History of the Sabbath,’ J. N. Andrews, pp. 199, 200.” – Facts of Faith, Christian Edwardson, pp. 97,98.

More tomorrow, God willing, and if you are willing, too. Bless all, NMF. 

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Devotionals

WHAT MITHRAISM, CHRISTMAS, AND SUNDAY WORHIP HAVE IN COMMON

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

WHAT MITHRAISM, CHRISTMAS, AND SUNDAY WORHIP HAVE IN COMMON

Yes. you read it right: not Communism, Socialism, Fascism, jingoistic Nativism, Federalism or Feudalism, but MITHRAISM, the earliest form of universal (or “catholic”) RELIGION of sun-worship!
Now read on and be better informed; for the choices and decisions we make are only as sound and enduring as the information and knowledge we have on the matter.
As the Bible says, “My people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge [of truth].” Consider the following carefully as we approach the traditional holidays, particularly Christmas,  under this unprecedented period of national and global anxiety and uncertainty, in the advancing light of the end-time prophecies of Daniel and Revelation:

“MITHRAISM, an outwardly refined sun worship, invaded the ROMAN EMPIRE in B.C. 67, and made way for itself by gathering under its wing ALL THE GODS OF ROME, so that ‘in the middle of the third century [A.D.] Mithraism seemed on the verge of becoming the universal religion.” – Encyclopedia. Britannica, Vol. XVIII, art. ‘Mithras,’ p. 624, 11th edition, 1911.

“That which made Mithraism so popular was the fact that the Roman Caesars adopted it, and the [Roman] soldiers planted its banner where ever they went [remember what Cestius did in the prophesied first invasion of Jerusalem in A.D. 70?].
The higher schools of GREEK learning also adopted it, so also did the NOBILITY, or the better classes of society which gave it great PRESTIGE. Its ‘Mysteries’ had a bewitching and fascinating influence on the people (general populace). And SUNDAY, called ‘the venerable day of the sun,’ was the popular HOLIDAY [not yet ‘holy’ day] of Mithraism.

“On the other hand, the PRIMITIVE Christian religion appeared to the learned Greek scholastics and their followers of eminent nobility as ‘foolishness’ (see 1 Cor. 1:18-23), and the Romans looked down upon the Christians with disdain and utter contempt. After the Jews had rebelled against the Roman government [see Josephus’ ‘Antiquities’] (Jerusalem and its Temple were destroyed by Titus, A.D., 70, and multitudes of the Jews were sold as slaves), hatred and contempt for them had become quite general among the Romans, and everything Jewish was despised. Thus Sunday, in the Roman world, stood for what was eminent ans popular, while the SABBATH, kept by the Jews, stood for what was despised and looked down upon. The temptations placed before an aspiring man, therefore, lay all in one direction.” Facts of Faith, p. 97.

More following tomorrow, God willing, NMF. 

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Devotionals

GOOD-BYE HERULI, HELLO EMPEROR JUSTINIAN

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

GOOD-BYE HERULI, HELLO EMPEROR JUSTINIAN

First, the last thoughts of the prophesied end of the Arian Heruli kingdom, then to how and why Justinian, then emperor of Eastern Rome, is called “the Son of the Church,” that is, the Church of Rome, not  Christ’s church:

The historian “Hodgkin points out that this coming of the archbishop to meet the Ostrogoths was STAGED so as to ‘impress vividly on the minds of both Italians and Ostrogoths that Theodoric came as a FRIEND of the Catholic Church.’ -‘Italy and Her Invaders,’ Vol.III, book 4, pp. 234, 235. Hodgkin further states that the Roman clergy were PRIVY to a terrible secret plot of murdering the followers of Odovacar all over Italy.(Ibid, 225, 226).

“The Heruli disappeared from from history. Thus the FIRST of the ‘three horns’ of Daniel 7:8 was ‘plucked up by the roots,’ and history leaves no room for doubt that the Papacy THROUGH its allies engineers this act because of its opposition to Arianism.

The Emperor Justinian.”Before passing on to the next power  destroyed by the Papacy we shall briefly state the CONDITION of the Roman Empire at [that] time.

“Justinian had finally ascended the throne of Constantinople as the Emperor of the East, 527 A.D. [The Roman Empire was divided into Eastern and Western Rome]. He was a SHREWD POLITICIAN, and in his effort to extend his rule over the WHOLE of the Roman Empire he realized his need of securing the COOPERATION of the HIGHLY ORGANIZED Catholic Church, for it was directed by a single head (the pope), and worked as a UNIT all over the [Roman] empire, while the Arian nations STOOD SEPARATELY, without a central organization, and hence they were weak.

Then too, the Arians were VERY WEALTHY, and if Justinian could conquer them IN THE NAME OF ‘THE TRUE CHURCH,’ he could confiscate their property and thus secure means to carry on his many wars. We read:

“Justinian (527) ….already meditated ….the conquest of Italy and Africa.’ – ‘Decline and Fall,’ Edward Gibbon, ch. 39, par. 17. “Justinian felt that the support of the Pope was necessary in reconquering the West [i.e., the Western Roman Empire].  – ‘History of Medieval Europe,’ L. Thorndike, Ph.D., p. 133, Cambridge, Mass.: 1918.

“Justinian spared nothing in his efforts to conciliate the Roman Church, and we find inserted with evident satisfaction in Justinian’s CODE PONTIFICAL LETTERS, which praised his efforts to maintain the peace of the Church and the unity of religion [Roman Catholic].” – ‘Cambridge Medieval History,” Bury, Gwalkin, and Whitney, Vol. II, p. 44, NY, 1913.  
More to follow,  NMF. 

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Devotionals

THE ‘LITTLE HORN’ GETS THE OSTROGOTH ARIAN ‘HORN’ TO DESTROY HIS FELLOW HERULI ARIAN ‘HORN’

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE ‘LITTLE HORN’ GETS THE OSTROGOTH ARIAN ‘HORN’ TO DESTROY HIS FELLOW HERULI ARIAN ‘HORN’

As the trite but always relevant saying goes, “United we stand, divided we fall.’ The enemy of all truth knows this truism all too well. Hence, his diabolical mind devised an all-too-successful scheme and strategy out of it and weaponized it, known as: “Divide and conquer.”

“Nearly all the wars which the northern barbarians carried on in Italy…..were occasioned by the pontiffs [popes]; and the hordes, with which Italy was inundated, the generally called in by them [the pontiffs].- ‘History of Florence,’ p.13. Universal Classics Library, 1901.

“The historian Villari says THEODORIC at the head of the OSTROGOTHIC hordes entered Italy in the autumn of 488, backed by the authority of the emperor and the [Roman] Church. Because of the discord that had now broken out between Odovacar [king of the Heruli kingdom] and the Pope had weakened the former and consequently made him less formidable, after two disastrous battles he retreated toward the city of Rome for safety from the Ostrogoths, but ‘the gates of Rome were shut in his face, and the inhabitants of Italy began to show him marked hostility; partly on account of his recent conflict with the [Roman] Church, partly from the increased deeds of spoliation ….

“The [Roman] Church HAD TAKEN ADVANTAGE of all these causes of this DISCONTENT in order to excite the populace against him; and before long it was openly said that the CLERGY had organized a GENERAL CONSPIRACY against him somewhat, it would seem, in the style of the Sicilian Vespers.’ – ‘The Barbarian Invasion of Italy,’ 1880, Vol. I, pp. 153-156.

“John Henry Cardinal Newman, D.D., says: ‘Odovacar was sinking before Theodoric [his fellow Arian] and the Pope was CHANGING one Arian master for another.’ – ‘An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine,’ Part II, p. 320. London. 1878.

“Villari continues: ‘On the 5th of March, 493, Theodoric entered Ravenna in triumph, all the CLERGY coming forth to meet him, chanting Psalms, and with the Archbishop at the head of the procession.’ -‘The Barbarian Invasion of Italy.’ Vol. 1, p. 158.

“Ten days later Odoacer (Odovacar) was murdered in cold blood.” – Edwardson, ‘Facts of Faith,’ Southern Publishing, 1943, pp. 38, 39.

Satan, “the father of lies and murderer from the beginning,’ used ‘subtility’ and craftiness to deceive Eve in Eden. His main agency on earth, the Papacy, has ever used the same strategy in her growth and development as clearly revealed in the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. “Knowledge is power.” “To be forewarned is to be forearmed.” God bless all, NMF 

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Devotionals

THE ‘TEN HORNS’ AND THE ‘LITTLE HORN’ OF THE ‘FOURTH BEAST’

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE ‘TEN HORNS’ AND THE ‘LITTLE HORN’ OF THE ‘FOURTH BEAST’

The Ten Horns. This is explained in the same chapter as ‘ten kings’ in verse 24.  If the ‘four kings’ of v. 17 represents ‘kingdoms’ (see on v.3) parallel to the four EMPIRES of ch. 2, then there is fully as much reason to understand these ‘ten kings’ as kingdoms also, even as the ‘four horns’ of the GOAT (ch.8:22).

“The successive invasions of the Roman Empire by numerous Germanic tribes, and the replacement of the empire by a number of separate states or monarchies, are well established facts of HISTORY.

“Owing to the fact that a score or more BARBARIAN tribes invaded the Roman Empire, commentators have compiled lists of the kingdoms that were founded. The following list is representative:

“Ostrogoths, Visugoths, Franks, Vandals, Suevi, Alamanni, Anglo-Saxons, Heruli, Lombards, Burgundians. Some prefer to list the Huns in place of the Allamanni, however the Huns DISAPPEARED early without leaving a settled kingdom.  The period was one of great upheaval, confusion and change  [in the Old World of Europe] during which a large number of states secured their independence.

“Another Little Horn.’ “Better, ‘another horn, a little one.’ Though ‘small’ in the beginning, this little horn is described LATER as ‘more stout than his fellows,’ literally, ‘greater than its companions.’ It will be seen that this is the CONTINUATION of the Roman power in the Roman church.  (Note what these historians wrote, emphasis mine):

“Out of the ruins of POLITICAL Rome arose the great MORAL Empire  in the ‘giant form’ of the Roman Church.” (A. C. Flick, The Rise of the Medieval Church, 1900, p.130.

“Under the Roman Empire the popes had NO TEMPORAL POWERS. But when the Roman Empire had DISINTEGRATED and its place had been taken by a number of rude, barbarous kingdoms, the Roman Catholic Church not only became INDEPENDENT of the states [civil powers] in religious affairs but DOMINATED SECULAR affairs as well.

“At times under such rulers as CHARLEMAGNE (768-811), OTTO THE GREAT (936-73), and HENRY III (1039-56), the civil power controlled the church to some extent, but in general, under the weak political system of FEUDALISM, the well-organized, unified, and centralized church, with the POPE AS ITS HEAD, was not only independent in ecclesiastical affairs, but ALSO CONTROLLED CIVIL AFFAIRS.’ (Carl Conrad, Eckhardt, “The Papacy and World Affairs, 1937, p. 1.” Commentary on the Book of Daniel, A Section of Vol.4 of the SDA Bible Dictionary,p. 826.

The diligent study of the prophecies and the whole sanctuary message that gives the wonderful details of the comprehensive plan of redemption of the everlasting gospel, unmistakably reveals how very close we are to the final test of mankind, the close of probation, the final time of trouble, and then the glorious appearing of our blessed Lord and Savior, bringing with Him the promised reward to all “the saints” who patiently “keep the commandments of God and faith of Jesus”!!

My prayer is that we shall “endure” and be found of Him “faithful to the end.” Bless all, NMF. 

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Devotionals

ARIANISM OF THE HERULI, VISIGOTHS, VANDALS AND OSTROGOTHS: THE THREE HORNS ‘UPROOTED’ BY THE ‘LITTLE HORN’ POWER

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK: 

ARIANISM OF THE HERULI, VISIGOTHS, VANDALS AND OSTROGOTHS: THE THREE HORNS ‘UPROOTED’ BY THE ‘LITTLE HORN’ POWER

We now resume our focus on the “another little horn” that came up “from among” the “ten horns” of the fourth beast, Rome, and uprooted “three of the ten horns” bringing it into power.

D & R 120: What was Arianism, the religion of the Heruli, Vandal, and Ostrogoth kingdoms of Italy at that time?

“The fourth century was destined to witness an obstacle thrown across the path of the ambitious dream [of the Bishops of Rome]. The prophecy had declared that the power represented by the little horn would ‘subdue three kings’ (kingdoms). In the rise and development of ARIANISM early in the fourth century and the challenge it presented to the Papal supremacy, we find the CAUSES leading to the ‘plucking up’ of 3 of the kingdoms of WESTERN Rome by the papal power.

“ARIUS, parish priest of the ancient and influential church in Alexandria [Eastern Rome], promulgated his doctrine to the world [civilized world then], occasioning so fierce a controversy in the Christian church [at that stage of the seven church periods] that a general council was called at Nicaea, by the emperor Constantin in A.D. 325, to consider and rule upon its teaching.

What was Arius’ controversial doctrine? “Arius maintained that ‘the Son was totally and essentially distinct from the Father; that He was the first and noblest of those beings whom the Father had created out of nothing, the instrument by whose SUBORDINATE operation the Almighty Father formed the universe, and therefore INFERIOR to the Father, BOTH in nature and dignity.’

“This opinion was condemned by the council, which decreed that Christ was one and the same substance with the Father. Hereupon Arius was BANISHED to Illyria, and his followers were COMPELLED to give their assent to the creed composed at that occasion.” – Uriah Smith, Daniel and the Revelation, pp. 120, 121. 
To be continued tomorrow, God willing. Bless all, NMF