Happy Ishtar!

By Rick Frueh
http://judahslion.blogspot.com/

The evangelical church is no stranger to the traditions of men. While we excoriate the traditions of Roman Catholicism, we ourselves practice many man made traditions that reduce spirituality to shadows and forms. And when forms are observed, the substance is diluted.
Jn.4:23-24 - But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
In this New Covenant God desires us to worship Him directly and in the Spirit. But here we are with the completed Word of God, inhabited by God Himself, and yet we still need symbols? And instead of the intimacy of a one on one relationship, we still desire to place traditions and more beggarly elements between us? And these forms are not even in the Bible.
And we are approaching another of the unbiblical observances that has been invented by man for his own pleasure while disguised as a celebration of the resurrection. The resurrection should be celebrated daily, and on every Sunday, and in our own lifestyles. Even the lost celebrate this “Easter” which even by its name is pagan. The name “Easter” is derived from the name “Semiramis” which was later changed to Ishtar. She was the wife AND mother of Nimrod.
And yet the church has adopted this observance as if God has ordained it, when in fact the only observances God ever ordained in the New Covenant is the Lord’s Supper and baptism. I know, I am throwing cold water on everything. But the question remains: Do we actually desire to obey and worship Christ in the manner in which He Himself has ordained? Or will we be content to continue pagan rituals and bring them right into God’s house and claim God loves it?
The church has made the resurrection bow to a one day observance and it blends in nicely with Memorial Day, President’s day, and of course the Fourth of July celebration. People say it is such a small thing. I know, everything in evangelicalism is a small thing to us. And that is precisely why we are in the shape we are in. The little foxes have become voracious monsters that consume the very essence of our faith. We celebrate the resurrection by living it.

Happy Ishtar!