false prophet "pastor" FM Riley admits that x-mass is not the birthday of Messiah Yeshua. x-mass is the birthday of tammuz (also known as ba-al) and is entirely pagan. constantine combined the pagan feast of ba-al with Christian terms in order to bring paganism and false "christianity" together.
G-d commanded ancient Israel, "I am sthe Lord your God. You must NOT DO AS THEY DO IN EGYPT, where you used to live, and you must NOT DO AS THEY DO IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, where I am bringing you. DO NOT FOLLOW THEIR PRACTICES. You must obey my laws, and be careful to follow my decrees" (Lev.18:2-4).
"Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled, so I punished it for its sin, and the land VOMITED out its inhabitants. . . Anyone who does any of these DETESTABLE THINGS -- such persons must be cut off from their people. Keep my requirements and do NOT follow ANY OF THE DETESTABLE CUSTOMS that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God" (Lev.18:24-30).
"You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet the time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:21-24).
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http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/jan2009/fmriley121.htm
F.M. Riley (21 Jan 2009) "Scriptural Answers - Christmas"
Scriptural Answers!
By Pastor F. M. Riley
“The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”
Psalm 119:130
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Pastor Riley,
I read your teaching called, “I rest my Case…..” Thank you for allowing it to be circulated. What you are saying is so, so true and we will certainly pass it along for others to learn from as well. This is a big wake up call for all who call themselves believers.
Pastor Riley, can I request your comments on a topic which is causing debate within my family circle….. It is directed at celebrating Christmas and the birth of Jesus on the 25th of December.
My husband and I from childhood, and in turn carried over now to our own children, have always celebrated this day as the birth of Jesus, and believed from the Word and our inner hearts that we were doing the right thing. This past Christmas it has come to light that one of my family members, namely my eldest son who is now 23, refused to celebrate Christmas stating that no where is there proof that Jesus was born on the 25th of December. He was very disheartened with us having a Christmas tree in our home and the giving out of gifts on Christmas Day.
I am seeking answers in trying to resolve this family dispute, and as you have preached the truth for 54 years I feel confident that I can rely on your response to me.
I thank you in advance for your time.
Blessed greetings,
Linda __________
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Dear beloved sister,
Thank you for writing. I appreciate your comments on my article.
Sister, quite often this subject of observing Christmas [and Easter] comes up among believers. Sadly, the discussion of it is almost always dogmatic and often angry. I have come to believe that it is a human [fleshly] tendency to become “self righteous” when one learns the truth, to the extent of trying to “force” the truth upon others. Such is terribly wrong.
Dear sister, you son is right about there being no proof whatsoever that Christ was born on December 25th. A careful study of history will reveal that this particular date was observed by the pagans centuries before Christ was born as the babe at Bethlehem. The pagans observed it as the “birth of the Sun god.” This is because December 22nd is the shortest day of the year [hours of daylight]. December 23rd and 24th are within seconds or a minute or two of being the same length as the 22nd. But on December 25th the day is longer by several minutes. The ancient pagans taught that on December 22nd the old Sun god of the previous year died, and that on December 25th the new Sun god of the coming year was born. A careful study of Christian history will reveal that the early Christians did not observe the birth of Christ at all. But about 300 A.D. the practice of observing the birth of Christ [the Son of God] began to infiltrate the churches, and such practice has grown in popularity ever since.
So dear sister, your son is right about there being no proof that December 25th is the birthday of Christ, but he is wrong in trying to force others to conform to his views. Christian love should always prevail among God’s people. Even in reproving and rebuking and pointing out error and false teaching, it should be done in the love of Christ to whatever extent is possible. See Ephesians 4:14-15.
I am well aware that many people, just like yourself and your husband, have been taught from childhood that Christ was born on December 25th and that Christmas is a celebration of His birth. Because I am aware of that, I always try to handle the subject with the same love of Christ that we are explicitly taught to show one another in Romans 14.
In that chapter the inspired Apostle explicitly dealt with the subject of observing days and eating meats. He pointed out in that chapter that some true believers observed certain days “to the Lord,” while other true believers refused to observe those same days for the same reason; that is, “to the Lord,” 14:6. The point here in this verse is that both were sincerely seeking to “honor the Lord” by their actions. Were both “technically” right? No! Were both “spiritually” right? Yes! Both of these believers, with sincere hearts, were seeking to be obedient to the Lord in observing or not observing certain days. God’s people need to read this chapter over and over again until the truth contained in it soaks in.
Sister, I personally know a preacher who never fails each year to preach a fire breathing sermon on “the wickedness” of observing the pagan holidays of Christmas and Easter as each of those days approach. He rants, raves, stomps, and bellows about committing such “terrible wickedness” by observing those pagan holy days. The results of his fiery sermons is that I personally know of numerous true believers who have left his church and never returned because they were so offended. How utterly ignorant the man is in the stand he takes against the observance of these days. How blind, unloving, and utterly offensive! Personally, I can think of a thousand sins that men commit that are far worse than merely “observing a day.” God have mercy on such ignorance.
I long ago recognized that there are many people who have been taught from their infancy that Christmas is the birthday of Christ. That teaching has been engrained in them from their earliest childhood memories. As they grow up some of these people receive Christ as their own personal Savior. Praise God! And because they were always taught that Christmas is the birthday of Christ, they continue to observe it as such in their homes each year. Now since these people really don’t know the truth about December 25th being a pagan holy day in the past, and they are actually observing the day with sincere hearts as the birthday of Christ seeking to honor Him, then what “wickedness” have they committed? God have mercy! Isn’t there enough real “sin” in the world for preachers to rail against and expose, without condemning people to hell for the “terrible sin” of observing Christmas and Easter to the honor and glory of the Lord? God have mercy on such blind ignorance!
Sister, I want people to know the truth too. I have proven that throughout my 54 years in the ministry. My record speaks for itself. But I also know that there is a right way and a wrong way to present the truth. When “self-righteousness” gets into the lives of believers to the extent that they are willing to condemn everyone and anyone who doesn’t swallow “whole hog” everything they have to say, something is terribly wrong in their own lives. Looking down a “self-righteous” nose and condemning others who aren’t even aware of the truth about a given subject, only reveals that the “self-righteous” believer is totally out of God’s will and is sinning against the very ones they are condemning.
I think you and I both know that “pride” is one of the major sins predominant in the end of this age, 2 Timothy 3:2. Those who are true believers should constantly be on guard to see that this wicked sin of “pride” does not crop in their own life and make them “self-righteous” and “holier-than-thou.” Some of us have carefully studied past history and therefore know the truth about Christmas and Easter. Good! But many haven’t! Does that then give us the right to become so “puffed up” with this knowledge, that we can jump on, kick, stomp, and condemn to hell our fellow believers who have never studied and learned the truth about these things? God forbid!
Sister, if you are going to observe the birthday of Christ, Christmas is just as good as any other day to do so. The truth is, no where in God’s Word were believers ever told to observe the birth of Christ on any day. But we are explicitly told to observe His death, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:23-25; Luke 22:17-20. But if true believers want to set aside a special day to observe and give thanks to God for sending Christ into the world, I have no condemnation to place on them. I thank God myself that He loved me enough to send the Lord Jesus Christ into the world to save me from sin and eternal damnation, Romans 5:8.
I know the truth about Christmas and Easter. I studied these things out for myself as a young Christian minister. But do I observe Christmas? Yes I do! But I don’t observe it as a pagan holy day or as the birthday of Christ. I observe Christmas with a thankful heart to the Lord for causing the world system to shut down long enough every year to allow all of my loved ones to “come home” where we can renew our acquaintances again in the love of Christ for one another, exchange whatever gifts we want one another to have, and just enjoy each other’s company, as we worship and love and serve our Lord together. Glory!
Do I put up a tree and spend loads of money decorating the whole house? No, I do not! I haven’t done such for years. But yes, I do observe Christmas for the exact reason and in the exact manner I have stated. If I am to be condemned for that, then let the “self-righteous” and the “perfect” condemn me. The inspired Word of God still explicitly says, “…..let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind,” Romans 14:5. And, “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ,” 14:10. And again, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God,” 14:12. Enough said!
I hope, dear sister, that this will give you a satisfactory answer to your question. I am sure that some who read this answer will condemn me for “straddling the fence.” Like I said, let them condemn. The Lord knows that I am not a “fence straddler.” My own life’s record proves that, and the Lord is the only One to whom I have to answer. God bless you. I’ll meet you soon in glory, for our Lord is coming soon. Pray for me.
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Exposing false prophets and false prophecies of those who call themselves Christians
