The Matrix, The Greatest Love of all, and Christmas…

I have been thinking through some things further and wish to offer this for those who would reason through what God has said about Christmas or any other matter of this sort.

If you aren’t aware yet, Mike Peters --a cult leader in Indianapolis-- and his crew have taken a number of worldly songs and applied new words and meaning to them. Though it is becoming increasing clear that what they mean within these songs is not what it seems upfront. For many who have been there before now believe that when Mike's followers speak of God or Jesus, they have Mike Peters in that place of authority in their minds. And when they speak of the Church or the only true Christians they are actually meaning only those under Mike’s legalistic thumb.

History is good and as much as we can we should be open to understanding origins of things of which we partake. Of course history is often perverted or skewed by man's views and twists, especially when they ignore all or even just some of God’s Words as they apply. So we can never base our faith on man's history but rather the complete and unchanging Word of the Living God. For man’s history will pass away but His-Story will abide forever. I personally believe that God’s Word makes it clear that He looks at our hearts and the thoughts --rather than any external appearance-- which we have in regard to all external things. And this is all judged by Him according to every Word which proceeds from the mouth of God, as this is balanced in believers by the undeniable and sound reasoning through the Holy Spirit.

What about the origin --history-- of some worldly songs with music as they are taken by Christians and transformed and converted into a whole new meanings of their own?

Please consider if this contains some contradictive beliefs which are impossible to reconcile…

Look at some of the songs that Mike Peters group use and consider their worldly carnal origins with their ungodly authors. Not just this cultic group but some free and guenuine Christians as well will accept conversion of worldly songs. Some people choose to say Christmas can not be something God gives us freedom to observe or even simply accept due to its origins, even if all the meaning a saved person has in it is nothing but pure balanced Biblical thinking in their mind. They say God says not to learn the ways of the Pagans not realizing that the way they apply this would have to apply as well in many other ways as they accept their external interpretation of this command of God. Some of these same people who reject Christmas by labeling it Pagan will use or accept a secular worldly song with carnal, evil, ungodly origins produced by unsaved people who are --as the Bible declares-- inspired and ruled by the god of this world in all of their origins. These believers will change some or many of the original words to re-decorate songs with a new meaning but then say you can’t do this to Christmas or a Christmas tree because of a manmade rule which says “off-limits here because God told me so and this makes it so” without having any valid balanced application of the Scriptures to prove this except a contorted misinterpretation from Jeremiah 10. If I wanted to be like them, I could extract some prophetic scriptures which seem to say we can not use these songs as true believers but I don't like perverting God's Word. Though these songs have the same original sound, tone, and structure in their appearance, they seem to be excusable under some different standard for our thinking. Yet, just like Christmas items, if someone never heard the songs in their original worldly or false religious origin they may have thought they were purely Christian songs --much like many think of Christmas-- from their explained meanings until someone lets them know they are “in a sense invoking the evil origins” by playing the same tune in its original appearance, even if it is re-decorated with a pure meaning by the song converters. Granted, as I have stated before, my wife and I do not like some converted songs because they can produce old feelings from when we knew them in the world before salvation. This simply means we would need a process of renewing the mind to see the good meaning in the conversion of these songs, not that we maintain the origins as inescapable. For as we are free to avoid listening to these songs --just like others are free to avoid the Christmas stuff-- we acknowledge that some Christians can find a real blessing through some converted songs which had evil origins. Jeremiah Films has a video called The Unwrapping of Christmas. Though I would agree with much of what is said there, I believe they have gone too far by seemingly indicating that Christians are doing wrong and accepting Pagan idols if they have a decorated Christmas tree set up in their house. When they imply that it is possible for a Christian to personally invoke evil --due to origins even though the Christian has no faith in such evil things, they are assuming that evil --regarding idols-- is present in things rather than where it is only possible for evil--in the hearts of people. This is so contrary to what our Apostle Paul told us when he assumed of mature Christians “we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one”. And if we dismiss what Paul said here and claim it only refers to food, and then say “but idols can exist in other ways to mature knowledgeable believers” then we are ignoring that Paul did in fact make an undeniable blanket statement within his words here regarding a mature Christian's understanding of idols. Yet these people who claim to have insight ignore this fact by implying that Christians can invoke evil without even being aware of it in such cases as the Christian Christmas traditions or who knows what other origin of something we are unaware of until it is made known. This is nothing but superstition -- not Biblical faith in the Power of God's Word which sets us free from evil faith completely and altogether.

As Jesus said to some regarding another matter of misunderstanding “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.” Though not everyone may choose to take this liberty in changing the meaning of an originally ungodly song and find that it becomes something to convey new Biblical meaning, according to God’s Word, every informed believer should acknowledge it is a freedom granted by God to those who have pure Scripturally clean thoughts in it before God’s eyes and reflect only such a meaning to others rather than some original meaning to fear from unsaved Pagans or from the perverted Catholic faith. Do you have a fear of idols OR a holy fear of the only One True God? My question has been and is: should we as Christians let a few Pagan’s ideas rule our faith OR rather God’s Word of freedom through His Power of Grace to rule our faith in matters of the mind that do not transgress the New Covenant’s moral or spiritual law? “His law is love and His Gospel is peace”, as Paul made clear in his writings, and the holy angels declared at Christ’s incarnation for those who have accepted Christ and are freed from the bondage of this world’s fears or some false form of religion. The balance is true “there is no peace for the wicked” and Jesus also said “Do not think I came to bring peace” to those who would reject His message of Salvation by HIS WORK ALONE. Kept by grace through faith, we still have God’s moral laws for keeping our minds sexually pure, faithfulness to our spouses, not lying to/about or stealing from our neighbors, and keeping our hearts free of unforgiveness, bitter hatred, or anger. And of course, spiritually speaking, keeping our eyes fixed on Christ Jesus and our minds on things above according to the New Covenant of living by faith. And we praise God forever for the unmerited mercy through Christ for sins forgiven if we fail in our part of the New Covenant as mere mortals dwelling in sinful flesh and waiting for the promised immortality at Christ’s return.

What about movies? Let us take an example of the movie The Matrix.

Mike Peters and his company, and even some well meaning Christians will look at this movie and see what they believe to be some spiritual parallels or symbolisms in our faith. Though the movies origins (screen writers/producers) are likely unsaved, ungodly, and even demonically inspired. And some ideas in the movie are from New Age, Zen, or Buddhist thinking in its origin. Consider this question and the answer given by a maker of the film we found as we researched the web:

Question to The Matrix film maker: “Did ideas from Buddhism influence you in making the film?”

WachowskiBros: “Yes. There's something uniquely interesting about Buddhism and mathematics, particularly about quantum physics, and where they meet. That has fascinated us for a long time.”

Yet, Christian believers draw from it meanings that they believe are in line with truth in our Christian faith. Personally my wife and I didn’t even like the “cleaned-up” version of the movie though I believe I can understand some of the thought processes in Christians as they look at it. We didn’t like the loose morals --which is something the NT actually does say we as believers are to avoid-- in the manners and dress of the actors. Regarding the appearance of a decorated pine tree or any other so-called idols, God did say “we know that an idol is nothing in the world”, yet He did not say there is no such thing as sexual or other moral temptations like lying or stealing or ignoring truth because “it's not really real” for Christians. I do see how a perverted mind --as Mike Peters teaches others to have-- could look at this movie and its ideas and believe they could do anything immoral they wish if they just believe right. For many of us are certain that they practice lying with no evidence of conscience, and God knows what else they practice with this? This movie is a danger for those who don’t pay attention to every Word of God to avoid the snares hidden therein. I do not care to see the follow-up movies nor do I wish to watch the first one again. But I will follow that by saying I believe it may be possible for some to see this movie and discern right from wrong as a Christian. For we are at liberty to do this --as with songs-- if it isn’t an occasion for selfish flesh or an occasion to twist the Truth of God’s Word by ignorance to fit your own agenda.

One more thought on origins. Where did you originate? What spirit were you of before God changed the inside meaning of you and presented you in the same physical form to the world as an "ambassador for Christ"? You still have the same body --just as does the Christmas tree or songs or movies-- as seen by others from when you were once dominated by the god of this world and seen in the minds of others as an evildoer. If God can change the meaning of your origin and offer to the world something different in the same physical form with a new spirit, meaning, and purpose --though others knew you at one time as a willing and practicing sinner-- why then is it so hard to believe our God can grant this freedom to His children to change the meanings of the Christmas items, songs, or movies that had evil origins but now are thought of as something different “unto the Lord”? If, in fact, man's history is accurate in that Christmas really did have an evil origin, God's History says that King David and Bathsheba's relationship was of an evil and adulterous origin, yet King Solomon was produced through them, should we discard Solomon and the words God spoke through him? For God is the God who takes what the Devil --who is under God's complete control-- originally meant for evil and uses it for good. Right? When has God stopped doing this? I believe the Truth may be --according to God’s Word-- that if you choose to keep the original evil faith in Christmas then you are near-sighted before God, for the only people who have any real faith in these idols are those who believe they exist. And Paul makes it clear that we are not to believe in them yet know that some unsaved in the world do have this false, empty, weak, powerless, and perverted faith. Or shall we say that because God judges the thoughts of the heart rather than external appearances, that we are not to follow the customs of the Pagans in their choice of thoughts for faith in the heart? Yet as it is that “this is the victory that overcomes the world even our faith” so it is that our faith has the Power of God to convert and give new life and meaning to re-decorated trees, songs, movies, and most importantly souls which had an evil origin.

I believe some Christians are like those in Jerusalem when Saul came to them as it is recorded in Acts 9:26:

“And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.”
Saul had the same body of the man who wished Christians were all dead and he did possess some authority to have them killed. Naturally these unlearned Christians in Jerusalem feared Saul’s origin. They did not believe he had a new meaning to his person, a new spirit born in the same physical form as he appeared before. Yet the knowledge confirmed by one who knew Saul is a different man was enough to convince the skeptical disciples. God’s Words should be enough of a witness to Christians that it is a matter of your heart before the eyes of God in the matter of conscience regarding origins. And as Saul changed his name to Paul, so Christmas day can have a different meaning than its original Pagan or Roman Catholic name. And as it is so very true that we are not commanded to observe Christ’s birth like we are commanded to observe His atoning Death and Resurrection in communion, yet it is also very true that God never told us we are not to observe Christ’s birth at any time. Rather because it is an event that caused a great stirring in Heaven according to the Scriptures, some Christians choose to remember this around Christmas day or otherwise. And every Christian must, by virtue of Holy Scripture, acknowledge this is a fact of God’s Word regarding His Son’s human Incarnation through prophecy, its fulfillment, and the clearly outstanding event of His-Story that it was.

I do hope this reasoning together will help some to know they do not always have to remain in the mindset of thinking of origins except maybe as we think of our salvation and conversion. We know where we came from but do you want others to know you that way now? We know some people who would see us in this view of our origins as they look only at what they would say is our sin as they ignore the Power of God unto Salvation to cleanse and convert a soul. Who we were was of an evil origin but we now know who we are re-defined by God in the same body of flesh until His return. We were once of an evil origin but now we are a people known for the meaning God has transformed into us by the Power of the Truth of God‘s Living and Abiding Word. This is the True Hope and Faith we should be expressing to the world in every way possible that they too may see and know HIS POWER to SAVE and CONVERT a SOUL which is of infinately greater worth than a simple song, movie, or holiday.

May you have a new year filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Christ Jesus.

Phil 1:9-11
“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

Scripture from NKJV

Nothing in Secret…

Because of hypocrisy, Jesus warned us to avoid motives of self-glory which opposes God’s rightful glory for all good. In matters of charitable deeds, prayer, and fasting we are called to have some honest secrecy from others as we are in the sight of God ALONE (Mt 6:3-6, 17-18). And of course, there are definite elements of privacy and secrecy in marriage which are pure and undefiled as God has said in Heb 13:4. This goes against the grain of teaching for some as they would not rather have these things in secret. But what would some of these same people have in secret?

This is the key word today on this post:

"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God." (2Cor 4:1-2)

When receiving and believing the Truth, God commands us to be bold in sharing this with others. Unless we have something to hide through whatever we believe, it is to be revealed to all, for nothing is to be hidden in matters of doctrine and practice. For our consciences are to be naked as we wisely but openly offer the Truth as we know it. If we don’t see the Truth, we must pray for God’s Grace to see it. If we do see this Truth, there is nothing to fear as you manifest it in the Light before all to see.

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.” (Ep 5:8-14)

Are you willing for your conscience to be manifested before all? Or do you carry something that you would be ashamed of if Light manifested your belief before others and you became conscious of God’s awareness of your thoughts and other's awareness of your beliefs. Do you have a clear conscience before God? Is there any belief that you feel you must hide for fear of other's thoughts about it? If so, maybe it would do you good to ask yourself, why?

"For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil." (Ec 12:14)

As God’s Word so clearly speaks in the Light, none can hide from His all-seeing Eyes. Christ is the Light of the world and has made His children the same for Himself. He has not spoken in secret but all the fullness of the Gospel --the New Covenant in His blood-- has been made manifest by His Holy Apostles and Prophets. It is settled and no one can add anything to it or take anything away without the eventual dread of falling into the Hands of the Living God.

"I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain’; I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right." (Is 45:19)

“...which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,” (Ep 3:5-6)

If your doctrine is said to be one thing but is actually hidden by practices that are contrary to God’s Divine Nature, then evil is lurking with you. For those who “appear to say one thing but then do another” will give an account of their will to cover up deceit with fraudulent words said to be of the Holy One. In other words... Blasphemy in the Eyes of the Holy God.

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!" (Is 5:20-21)

“I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings. “Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord." (Jer 23:21-24)

You are hiding from the eyes of men but God sees your heart. And it grieves Him that you are resisting the Truth by hiding and not being willing to reveal your conscience before God and men. You must ask yourself, why are you hiding? What are you afraid of?

Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. “For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” (Mark 4:21-25)

It is not in sharing words only but your very public presence will reveal to other that you have nothing to fear. It is those who desire to hide something that will go and hide themselves when the Light shines on them in public places. Do you not realize we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. And every knee will bow --yes, yours, mine and all will be there-- before the Holy name of Jesus Christ, the only Living Deity who is a man and yet all things were created through Him and for Him. Do you make yourself well known to the consciences of others or do you have something in your teaching and practice to hide from others?

"Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences." (2Cor 5:9-11)

“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. “Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. “If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.” (Luke 11:33-36)

Is there a dark part in you which you would not want the world --or more importantly-- Christ’s discerning Christians to see? Speaking to you who know you are a hypocrite in your dealings as a leader in a church: Other than those you have duped, would you meet with Christians in public who have concerns of you and your ways?

Speaking to discerning Christians: If you have been maintaining a clear conscience before God and man, and then encounter someone who you know --by their practices or fruit-- are full of lies and hypocrisy or false accusations toward the brethren, God will give you a boldness to look them in the eyes physically and spiritually and know God’s grieving over this with an anger for their sin. I have experienced this at a few times in my walk with Christ, and I believe God would grant me the boldness again as needed if I am to encounter another of these known hypocritical liars as God unmasks them before me. For their mouths MUST be stopped! If this sounds “arrogant” for me to say, I didn’t say it, Paul did. I just agree with him and wish to have the same mind of Christ in obedience to God.

I am far from sinless, and Christ has been faithfully working His Spirit in me to sin less as I learn to yield to His Grace for change. But there are those who would resist God’s Grace altogether --as Stephen spoke of-- and in this, resist His Hand of Change. I know I have fallen short of God’s best in my approach toward obvious hypocritical people at different times. I have gotten a bit upset and sternly verbal at these times. The Bible says “be angry and sin not” . So I am praying for the right attitude to take when approaching these wolves in sheep’s clothing who are found to be walking in clever craftiness and handling the word of God deceitfully as they abuse many. I have been accused of being arrogant due to the way I respond to such individuals face to face, even in public. But because I don’t wish to have the sin of arrogance in my heart, or have my true brothers and sisters in Christ think it's so, I’ve been praying and asking God how to respond to these people with the Love of Christ. But because I have no other better examples to follow but those of the New Testament Saints, I have found myself wanting to imitate them even as they imitated Christ. I’ll share some of the examples of men who looked those in the eyes who were full of hypocrisy or deceit…

Jesus -- way too many to list here but I‘ll give some:

“Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Mt 12:34)

“Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. (Mt 23:24-25)

John the Baptist:

“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" (Mt 3:7)

Stephen:

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you." (Acts 7:50)

Peter:

"But Peter answered him, “May you and your money go to hell, for thinking that you can buy God’s gift with money! You have no part or share in our work, because your heart is not right in God’s sight. Repent, then, of this evil plan of yours, and pray to the Lord that he will forgive you for thinking such a thing as this. For I see that you are full of bitter envy and are a prisoner of sin.” (Acts 8:20-23)

Paul:

“Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:9-10)

“Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.” (2Tim 3:8-9)

And then Paul said to us:

"Therefore I urge you, imitate me." (1Cor 4:16)


"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." (1Cor 11:1)

"The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." (Phil 4:9)

So if I am accused of arrogance in my speech, please understand what has motivated me.

Every single one of the men rebuked in the examples above were in a place of leading others astray and also had hidden secrets in their hearts which God made manifest to others. And some were out to discredit valid testimonies of others against them so as to detract from the fact that they were serious frauds. No worries… God will expose them further as He has promised us! The men who rebuked these frauds knew of God’s grief and anger for they were known of God and had compassion for those being misled.

One final Word:

Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing” (John 18:20) …If you are of Christ, can you say the same Truth before all people of the world in any public seen today? I trust God may give you this opportunity to prove it, and hopefully sooner than later for the sake of those you have been misleading.

Fear is not of God. If your doctrine is of God you will have great boldness for all men to know it, not just the few naïve or innocent people that you have led into the darkness which you claim as light. What a dreadful shame and disgrace for the name of Christ --of which you claim to be-- as you offer secret lies to deceive, if it were possible, the elect of God. For Love will open the heart for all to see, hiding no good thing of the Truth of the Gospel. For as Jesus said, there are those restricting the Key of Knowledge from others and will not enter in themselves for their grave blindness and pride.

By God’s Grace and Work, we shall know the Truth… and this Truth will set us FREE!

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” (1Jn 4:17-19)

If you are following one who will not come out into the Light before God and the consciences men in public with what they believe, think through these words for your own soul’s sake and go FREE BY THE POWER OF GOD'S GRACE!

-Scripture in NKJV-