The Truth In
Print, Feb. 2007 Vol. 13 Issue 1
A Publication of the Valley
2375
Don’t Thank The Sun, Thank
God!
By
Bob Lovelace
Old pagan beliefs and practices surfaced
this past December. During the holiday period some of these practices were given
a large billing in the local newspapers. In referring to the “sun” in the above
title I am thinking of the winter solstice. One article which I read stated
that the “sun” was being thanked for its promise that light will prevail and
another life-summer will eventually follow. I thought how foolish and
misleading this is because God created the sun, and the world, and all things
therein (Cf. Acts
If people would read and study their Bibles
they would learn that God created all things through Jesus Christ, the Son of
God. Paul speaking of his apostleship referenced Christ as the Creator, though
the greater emphasis was the place of the church in God’s plan of redemption.
Ephes. 3:8-12,
“Unto me, who am less than the least of all
saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; [9] And to make all men see
what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world
hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: [10] To the
intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be
known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, [11] According to the eternal
purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: [12] In whom we have boldness
and access with confidence by the faith of him.”
What mankind sorely needs is to read how God
offers salvation for all men through His Son Jesus Christ. In
doing so they will see the folly of paganism with its rank idolatrous
practices, some of which have crept back into modern societies.
Concerned reader there is a “kingdom” not of
Satan, but of God, into which one can be translated away from the power of
darkness at work throughout the world. As Paul wrote about the
God, having created man, condemns the
practice of liars who change the truth. Concerning these idolaters Paul said, “Who changed the
truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the
Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen” (Rom.
Another important distinction to remember
about the Son of God versus the material “sun” is what God created He will one
day destroy by His own power: “The Lord
is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance. [10] But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in
the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away
with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth
also and the works that are therein shall be burned up”
(2 Pet. 3:9-10).
Dear reader, even more serious is that all
souls are God’s: “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so
also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth,
it shall die” (Ezk. 18:4). Thus each soul or person is held responsible
before God for their sins: “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which
corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Heb. 12:9). Moreover the Son
of God, Christ, has been appointed to judge each individual according to what
he does while here upon the earth: “For we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).
Sun worship is rank idolatry! In Old Testament days God promised that He
would deal in wrath and have no pity in judgment upon, nor would he spare,
those whom He knew to be worshipping the sun. Here is a brief portion of what
God allowed Ezekiel to see concerning the idolatrous practices among his people,
the Jews, that brought their destruction. Both men and women had their false
gods, for Tammuz mentioned below was a fertility god
worshipped in the middle east. As you read take note
of what these idolaters thought of God’s ability to know about their
abominations.
Ezekiel 8:9-18
“And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the
wicked abominations that they do here. [10] So I went in and saw; and behold
every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the
house of
[13] He said also unto me, Turn thee yet
again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that
they do. [14] Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house
which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
[15] Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn
thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater
abominations than these. [16] And he brought me into the inner court of the
Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the
porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward
the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped
the sun toward the east.
[17] Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to
the house of
The New Testament states that idolaters will
spend eternity in Hell. Hear John, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).
As in days past, the foolish and unlearned
today are allowing practitioners of paganism to seduce them into worship that
ends in eternal death.
You may read a response to one who feels
like Christianity is hateful to pagans and witches at
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/witchcraft.html