Coronavirus & Spirituality ~ Home Church Guidance (Part -11)

Churches, synagogues, mosques, shrines, and temples, have been among the institutions shut down due to the fear of spreading the coronavirus. What could families do when there is no Church building to go to? 

They could do what the Early Church did for the first 300 years of Christianity - make your home - your Church!

THE SUN-GOD RELIGION CONSPIRACY OF CHRISTIANITY 

"The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists" (J. Edgar Hoover - The First Director of the FBI)

Have you ever wondered? How can Organized Religions in the name of the God of love, life, compassion, and peace - continue to hate, kill, practice cruelty, and wage war against other humans that God created in his image-? Why would the God that created our Universe and everything in it, have anything to do with the “Organized Religion of Catholicism” that has historically and directly caused thousands of years of hate, hostility, fear, corruption, greed, moral decay, abuse of spiritual authority, the Inquisitions, the Holy Wars, and the torture and death of millions of men, women, and children? Over 50 million people were slaughtered in the Catholic Inquisitions alone. Could it possibly be that these religious organizations have falsely used God’s Holy Name-? What if - the "Institutional Religion of Christianity" was a planned evil conspiracy to:

1. Destroy the Early Christian “Underground” Home-Church that was a spiritually living organism until 327 A.D., after 300 years of true worship and service, and

2. Establish in its place a counterfeit pseudo (fake) powerless dead "Temple” centered organized “Christian” religion with the motives to destroy the work of God by (a.) Uniting Church and State for absolute power and control in 327 AD; (b.) Attacking Christian families by making the Home Church heretical in 390 AD, and (c.) Attacking Christian marriages by subsequently making marriage illegal for Priests and bishops (Married couples were Early Church Elders: Rom. 16:3). 

In 1022 Pope Benedict VIII banned marriages for priests. In 390AD, a massacre of 7,000 "heretics" in Thessalonica by the Roman emperor Theodosius revealed the early "New World Order" to the world. He ordered that the conventicles (small home churches) were not to be called churches.

THE CONSTANTINIAN “PARADIGM” SHIFT

“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough,” (2 Cor. 11:3-4)

From persecuted minority to official imperial religion - what caused this extraordinary reversal for Christianity? "The Romans tried to beat down Christianity but failed. By the 4th century, Christianity becomes the state religion and by the end of the 4th century, it is illegal to do any form of public worship other than "Catholic" Christianity in the entire Roman Empire. There is a great mystery in how this happened — how such an extraordinary reversal, that begins with Jesus who is executed by the Romans as a public criminal, as a threat to the social order, and somehow we wind up 3 centuries later with Jesus being hailed as a God, as part of the one, true God who is the God of the "New Catholic Roman Empire." There is remarkable progress, a remarkable development in the course of 3 centuries. It's hard to understand exactly how it happened or why it happened, but it is important to realize that we have a progression and a set of developments and that Christianity by the 4th century is not the same as the Christianity that we see in the first or even the second," (Shaye I. D. Cohen, Josephus in Galilee and Rome, 2002.)

So how did the Early Church radically change after 3 hundred years of following Jesus in the home-church? How could the kingdom that Jesus said was “not of this world” (Jn. 18:36), become so much a part of worldly power that the Roman Emperor became the leader of Jesus’ Church in 324 A.D.-? 

CONSTANTINE’S NEW UNIVERSAL “SUN-GOD” CATHOLIC RELIGION

“When you look up .. and see the Sun ... do not be enticed into bowing down ..” (Deut. 4:19)

The very thing that Moses and the Apostle Paul warned us about came true. In order to politically and religiously unify the many different Mediterranean cultures into one Roman Empire, Constantine who was a political genius created a new “Universal” pagan SUN-god/ Christian religion called ‘Roman Catholicism.’ The word ‘Catholic’ means ‘universal.’ Since Constantine was a devout Sun-worshipper and these cultures already had been worshipping their different ‘Sun-gods’ for centuries on the same day of the year (December 25th), it was easy for him to declare Jesus as Christ-The-True-Sun-god. Many of the Sun-god cults had a striking resemblance to Christianity. For example, prior to Constantine's so-called “conversion” to Christianity, he was initiated into the Cult of Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun). He was a follower of the Persian/Roman Sun-god Mithras who was said to have been: born of a virgin birth, had 12 disciples, was killed and resurrected, performed miracles, and was known as mankind’s savior who was called the light of the world and his virgin birth occurred on December 25th. Following are just seven (7) Cultures that all worshipped their different Sun-gods on the 25th of December every year, but there are many more: 

1. Ancient Babylon (Nimrod); 2. Egypt (Amen-Ra & Osiris); 3. India/ Hindu (Surya); 4. Syria (Baal); 5. Iran/ Persia (Mithras); 6. Greece (Dionysus, Adonis, Apollo, Zeus & Hercules); 7. Rome (Sol Invictus, Jupiter, Helios, Tammuz), - (S.E. Titcomb, 1889. Aryan Sun myths, Origin of Religions). 

To the polytheists in these cultures or those that believed in many gods, this was not a problem as they could simply swap one god for another. Thus Baal or Ra could become Zeus as their gods were the same and their names didn’t matter (Jupiter and Zeus could become Ju-Zeus or Jesus). But to the early Jewish-Christians, the name of their TRUE GOD did matter and this blending (syncretism) of worshipping pagan gods along with Jesus created religious conflicts in the Empire for Constantine. The following seven (7) changes further paganized the Catholic Church.

SEVEN (7) CONSTANTINIAN “Catholic Church” CHANGES 

“Do not move an ANCIENT Boundary Stone,” (Pro. 22:28, 23:10)

1. THE NAME OF JESUS: At the First Council of Nicaea, Constantine created an entirely new “non-Jewish” Greek NAME for the god of his New Roman Catholic empire who would unite all religious factions under one Sun-deity. The Jewish NAME of our Lord and Savior “Yahshua” (Yah is Salvation) was changed to “Jesus.” This may come as a shock to many of you, but our Lord and Savior never responded to the name of Jesus as a child, an adolescent, or as an adult.

Not one of his Apostles, disciples or followers for over 300 years after his death ever called him by the name of JESUS. His parents Mary and Joseph gave him a quite common name - Yeshu’a. Jesus comes from the Latin “Iesus,” and from the Greek name “Iesous” literally translated “Hail Zeus.” Some believe that a Gnostic by the name of Origen who believed that Jesus was actually Zeus reincarnated - altered the Greek Septuagint bible using the name Iesus, and later Constantine hired Eusebius (Bishop of Caesarea) to make 50 Bibles for him in Latin Vulgate. The English letter “J” replaced the “I” in Iesus in the 1600s. The English spelling of Yahshua is “Joshua” - Not Jesus! 

2. SUN-DAY WORSHIP ONLY: Constantine enacted a law for all Roman Catholic “Christians” to only worship the Sun-god on SUN-day in the Bascilica or Temple. On March 7, 321, he declared, “On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.” He dedicated “SUN-day” to the Greek and Roman Sun-god, Helios - as he worshipped “Christos Helios” which means “Christ-The-True-Sun.” Constantine continued to honor and promote the SUN-god cult on coins and shrines that he built.

The Catholic Church also admits that they established Sunday as a Holy Day: "Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day; but the Lord’s Day they shall especially honor, and, as being Christians, shall if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ"(Catholic Church Council in Laodicea, 364AD, Canon 29). We know that God commanded the Jews to worship on the Sabbath or 7th Day (Saturday).

The Bible informs us that the Early Christian Church for 300 years worshipped Jesus every day (Acts. 2:46). The Apostle Paul asked the Galatians: Now that you know God, why are you turning back to those weak and miserable principles by observing “Saturdays” or making Special (“Sun”) Days-? (Gal. 4:8-11).

3. ROMAN CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY: Constantine adopted the most important SUN-god Holiday in antiquity (Christmas) into his new state Roman Catholic religion. Pagan religions had always celebrated the birth of their Sun-gods on the date of the winter solstice. Constantine however, decreed that December 25th would become the standard day of observance for the birth of not only the Sun-god Jesus, but all Sun-gods know as “The Nativity of the Sun.” 

4. ROMAN EASTER HOLIDAY: Most ancient cultures celebrated the resurrection of their Sun-gods at the vernal equinox. Constantine called the Council of Nicea in 325 to among other things decide on the Easter rule that established the celebration of Easter SUN-day between March 22nd and April 25th. The Easter holiday goes all the way back to the Sumerian civilization where the fertility goddess Ishtar pronounced “Easter,” was honored on a day commemorating the resurrection of a dying and reborn SUN-god named Tammuz. He was believed to be the only begotten son of the Moon Goddess and the Sun god.

God condemns the idol worship of this Sun-god Tammuz in Ezekiel 8:14. This ancient history made it easy for Catholicism to institute the worship of Ishtar and Tammuz as Mother Mary (Queen of Heaven) and baby Jesus as their New Sun-god in the 4th century.

5. THE NEW STATE RELIGION: Theodosius made Catholicism the State Religion. On 27 February 380, Theodosius the Roman Catholic Emperor (379-395) and leader of the Catholic Church issued decrees that effectively made Nicene Christianity the official state church of the Roman Empire. He declared the “Catholic Church" the only legitimate Imperial “Christian” religion.

6. THE NEW ROMAN LAW: In 390 AD, Theodosius issued a series of laws that prohibited all Non-Catholic worship by forbidding visits to pagan sites of worship (Home-Churches). In April 390, Theodosius also ordered the massacre of 7000 inhabitants of Thessalonica after a Roman military commander had a popular charioteer arrested for a homosexual offense. When the town demanded the release of the charioteer and the commander refused, a general mutiny ensued and the commander and other Roman authorities were killed. As soon as Theodosius heard of the uprising, he ordered an immediate retaliation. The army units sent to Thessalonica acted as if they had captured a hostile city, and over 7,000 innocent citizens were murdered in their home churches.

7. ALL OTHER CHURCHES OUTLAWED: Theodosius ended all official state support for polytheism and the traditional religions such as Judaism and he also outlawed all Family Home Churches (The Underground Church) describing non-Catholic Christians as “foolish madmen.”

CONSTANTINE’S SUN-GOD TEMPLE WORSHIP PRACTICES (Were they Biblical?)

Jesus said, “they worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men,” (Mt. 15:9)

Under Constantine's protective wing, Catholic Christianity experienced a period of mass conversion of pagans. This flood of pagans had a great effect on the catholic system of worship. New customs brought over from paganism included: "devotion to relics, the use of the kiss as a sign of reverence for holy objects, the practice of kneeling, the use of candles and incense, and increased use of ceremonies patterned on those used in the imperial court" (Straus, p. 36).

Worship of angels, martyrs, and Mary also began to arise during the 4th century as new converts transferred to them some of the reverence they had felt for pagan deities. The converts believed that they could offer prayer to any of these personages, who would then make intercession for them. By the end of the 4th century, the Catholic believers were not the bride of Christ as they claimed to be, but a fallen woman! (Wes White, What did the Early Church believe and preach after the death of Jesus?). The Bible forbids idol worship (Ex. 20:1-6).

Even the noted Catholic theologian, Cardinal John H. Newman, stated that Constantine introduced many things of pagan origin into the Early Christian Church: “We are told in various ways by Eusebius (Roman historian and Bishop of Caesarea, 314 AD), that Constantine, in order to recommend the new religion to the heathen, transferred into it the outward ornaments to which they had been accustomed in their own.

The use of Temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps, and candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water; asylums; holy days and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on fields, sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesiastical chant, and the Kyrie Eleison (Prayer), are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church,” (An Essay On The Development of Christian Doctrine, pp. 359, 360).

THINK ABOUT IT !   (The “SUN-god Religion” attempted to destroy the Underground Home-Church)

“I have reserved for myself 7000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal” (Rom. 11:4-5)

Conspiracy theories have been used to explain historical and current events from the beginning of time. They are often viewed with ridicule and skepticism because they are seldom supported by any conclusive evidence. If however, the overall theme is true or even parts of it, then the freedom and rights of individuals throughout the world are in danger and must be informed. To be fair, some would argue that Constantines’ supposed conversion initially helped the early Christians in some ways by keeping them safe from persecution. Church leaders were given many financial gifts by the Emperor. To his credit, Constantine also assembled the Council of Nicaea in 325, and the Genesis (1:26) doctrine of the Holy Trinity was confirmed as a core belief of Christianity. But, it is also clear that Constantine’s Catholic Religion adopted a “Nicolaitan priesthood,” outlawed the home-churches, and murdered those Christians who continued to meet in the “Underground Home-Church.”

The best kind of mysterious conspiracy is the one that is impossible to prove because the mystery itself perpetuates the conspiracy. It is still unclear to me if this was a human or superhuman inspired conspiracy. However, what did become clear to me is that the God of the Universe is not in the business of "saving" and or endorsing any Organized SUN-god Religious Group, church denomination, nation, government, political party or football team.

Revelation 20:15 indicates that there are only individual "names"- not ‘group’ names written in the Book of life. The book of life contains only the names of those who have put their faith in Christ to save them. The Apostle Paul mentions in Rom. 11:4-5, that God has reserved for himself a remnant of 7000 of his people who have been chosen by his Grace that have not bowed their knee to the SUN-god Baal. The Early Underground Home-Church would rather die (be martyred), then bow down to this SUN-god - yet today's Christians are bowing down every Sunday to their SUN-god in their SUN-god temples! Scripture, however, informs us that, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,” (Phil. 2:9-11; Rom. 14:11). Jesus said: 

"So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth," (Rev. 3:16)

Jesus condemned the believers in the Laodicea church because they wouldn’t take a stand for anything, and their indifference had led to idleness. There is nothing more disgusting to Jesus than a halfhearted, in-name-only “Christian” who neglects standing up for the truth. I pray that Jesus would fire up our faith, and call all of us to take action against the false Sun-god religions of Christianity.

What could families do when they can’t go to their public church building because of the coronavirus stay-in-your home orders? They could do what the Early Church did for the first 300 years of Christianity - make your home - your Church!

For further info see the book: Hidden Bible Taboos Forbidden By Organized Christianity p. 249-257. By James Slobodzien, Author - Christian Living / Inspirational Books at Clinical PsychologicalServices, LLC