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Why

Do You

Observe Easter

?

 THE BIBLE TEACHES THE OBSERVANCE OF THE Passover!

How and When was it changed and by Who?

The following is a copy of the letter that the Roman Emperor Constantine sent out to all the inhabitants of the Roman Empire that he was king over.  In this letter are his reasons to change the Lord's Passover to a different day and give it a different name called Easter.  The net affect was the taking of a pagan day of worship and calling it a holy day given to Christians by God.  This is a lie that was foretold by God through Daniel when he said the fourth beast would think to change times and laws (Daniel 7:23-25).

Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. (Dan 7:23-25)

Have the audience turn on their devices and go to our website:  www.cognm.org

    Enter the home page and go to the link in the upper left hand corner: 

Why Do You Observe Easter

and Not the Passover?

Give today's date (Feb 22, 2014)

        If you are a farmer - We are in the 6th year of the seven year land rest (2014/2015)

            Which will begin on the Day of Atonement 2014/2015

        and the number of weeks to Passover:  (7)

Point out the clickable links in the upper left hand corner

Let's begin reading

Medieval ("middle age")  (pronounced:  Me-deval) Sourcebook: Constantine I: On the Keeping of Easter

ON THE KEEPING OF EASTER.  THE FIRST COUNCIL OF NICEA OF 325 A.D.

From the Letter of the Emperor to all those not present at the Council. (Found in Eusebius, Vita Const., Lib. iii., 18-20.)

When the question relative to the sacred festival of Easter arose, it was universally thought that it would be convenient that all should keep the feast on one day; for what could be more beautiful and more desirable, than to see this festival, through which we receive the hope of immortality, celebrated by all with one accord, and in the same manner? [did you notice the stealth involved in pushing over this lie?]

It was declared to be particularly unworthy for this, the holiest of all festivals, to follow the custom [the calculation] of the Jews, who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and whose minds were blinded. In rejecting their custom,(1) we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter, which we have observed from the time of the Saviour's Passion to the present day [according to the day of the week]. note:  the Quartodecimen controversy from the time of the death of John to the present day

We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Saviour has shown us another way; our worship follows a more legitimate and more convenient course (the order of the days of the week thus being Sunday); and consequently, in unanimously adopting this mode, we desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews, for it is truly shameful for us to hear them boast that without their direction we could not keep this feast. [when the months begin and thus when Passover and the rest of the holy days begin]  How can they be in the right, they who, after the death of the Saviour, have no longer been led by reason but by wild violence, as their delusion may urge them? They do not possess the truth in this Easter question; for, in their blindness and repugnance to all improvements, they frequently celebrate two passovers in the same year [See note below via the scriptures regarding two Passovers in the same year].   Note:  the people of God, in Constantine's own words:  repugnance to all improvements

We could not imitate those who are openly in error. How, then, could we follow these Jews, who are most certainly blinded by error? for to celebrate the passover twice in one year is totally inadmissible. But even if this were not so, it would still be your duty not to tarnish your soul by communications with such wicked people [the Jews]. Besides, consider well, that in such an important matter, and on a subject of such great solemnity, there ought not to be any division. Our Saviour has left us only one festal day of our redemption, that is to say, of his holy passion, and he desired [to establish] only one Catholic Church. [Miriam Webster Dictionary:  of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church : including many different things,  1):  of, relating to, or forming the church universal  2):  of, relating to, or forming the ancient undivided Christian church or a church claiming historical continuity from it  3):  comprehensive, universal; especially : broad in sympathies, tastes, or interests]

Think, then, how unseemly it is, that on the same day some should be fasting whilst others are seated at a banquet; and that after Easter, some should be rejoicing at feasts, whilst others are still observing a strict fast. For this reason, a Divine Providence wills that this custom should be rectified and regulated in a uniform way; and everyone, I hope, will agree upon this point. [The point of fasting must here refer to the days of lent that the Catholic Church follows.  It was changed over time from 8 days to 15 days and then to 40 days of lent.  It was preceded by the Mardi-Gras

"Mardi Gras"  "Mardi Gras season", "'Fat Tuesday'" and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Epiphany or Kings day and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday. The day is sometimes referred to as Shrove Tuesday, from the word shrive, meaning "confess."[6] Related popular practices are associated with celebrations before the fasting and religious obligations associated with the penitential season of Lent.

As, on the one hand, it is our duty not to have anything in common with the murderers of our Lord; [Jesus died for the sins of the world, everyone had their hand in this, from the most lowly to the highest because all have sinned.  Pontius Pilate was a Roman governor of Judea during the reign of Tiberius .] and as, on the other, the custom now followed by the Churches of the West, of the South, and of the North, and by some of those of the East, is the most acceptable, it has appeared good to all; and I have been guarantee for your consent, that you would accept it with joy, as it is followed at Rome, in Africa, in all Italy, Egypt, Spain, Gaul, Britain, Libya, in all Achaia, and in the dioceses of Asia, of Pontus, and Cilicia.

You should consider not only that the number of churches in these provinces make a majority, but also that it is right to demand what our reason approves, and that we should have nothing in common with the Jews.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:7-9)

To sum up in few words: By the unanimous judgment of all, it has been decided that the most holy festival of Easter should be everywhere celebrated on one and the same day, and it is not seemly that in so holy a thing there should be any division. As this is the state of the case, accept joyfully the divine favour, and this truly divine command; for all which takes place in assemblies of the bishops ought to be regarded as proceeding from the will of God.

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2Th 2:1-12)

Make known to your brethren what has been decreed, keep this most holy day according to the prescribed mode; we can thus celebrate this holy Easter day at the same time, if it is granted me, as I desire, to unite myself with you; we can rejoice together, seeing that the divine power has made use of our instrumentality for destroying the evil designs of the devil, and thus causing faith, peace, and unity to flourish amongst us. May God graciously protect you, my beloved brethren.

Notes:

These are the reasons given by Constantine to his followers as to why the Passover should be changed to easter:

1.  It should be convenient to keep it on a fixed day

2. Change the date so as to reject the custom of the Jews (which would be to reject the commandment of God)

3.  To separate themselves from the Jews.

4.  That the Jews (and ultimately God) is in error for celebrating two Passovers in the same year (see note below)

5.  That Jesus desired to establish one Catholic Church

6.  That the Catholics should not have anything in common with those who murdered (crucified) Jesus Christ.

7.  That the majority of the Catholic church has agreed that the date should be changed and set on a fixed day.

Notes: 

The Jews are accused of celebrating two passovers in the same year.  God had made an exception for those who could not keep the passover on the day commanded being the 14th day of the first month. 

Numbers 9:6-13 KJV And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day: (7) And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel? (8) And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you. (9) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, (10) Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD. (11) The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. (12) They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it. (13) But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.