Apostate Malm quotes Slick Willie on birthdays:
Though you look in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, you will find no mention anywhere of any of the saints of God observing their birthdays. In fact, strange as it may seem to many, even the exact date of the birth of Jesus Christ is NOWHERE REVEALED in Scripture!
You can search the Bible from Genesis to Revelation you will find no mention of lots of things, yet we do them today. Only legalistic cultists look for things hidden or actually not even there to make their rules and regulations. How better to keep the sheep under control but to burden them with endless, useless irrelevant rules and regulations!
The plain truth is that birth day celebrations are only mentioned twice in the Scriptures — once in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament – and both times in reference to customs being observed by unconverted, pagan people — an Egyptian Pharaoh, and wicked king Herod!
Oh my! These two dudes also ate food, danced, married, wore clothes, drank wine, went to the toilet, took baths, travelled, argued, read "books", breathed air, and even farted. So because they did these things we should NOT be doing them today? John the Baptists had his served up on a platter at a party/banquet. Are we to not have parties and banquets today? This just goes to show how Armstrongites make mountains out of mole hills.
Then Slick Willie moves on to astrology which is one of Armstrongism's bogeymen.
God Almighty says to the daughter of Babylon (Isa. 47:1), the great pagan religious deception which has engulfed the world, “Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the ASTROLOGERS, the star-gazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as STUBBLE; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame” (Isaiah 47:13-14).
Slick Willie seems to forget that the Israelites and COGgers look to new moons, set their dates for religious observances by the moon, watch the rising and setting of the sun, practice numerology, and other things similar to the "pagans." Apostate Malm and Prophet Thiel are huge believers in numerology. They love to count numbers, set dates, and wallow in all kinds of speculations just as the sorcerers did.
The whole message of God is to teach us to humble ourselves, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves – to get rid of ego and self-centeredness. Birthdays have the opposite effect. They concentrate the attention on the birthday person, glorifying him – not God – and exalting him – not God – and having people bring him presents. Thus paying “homage” to the birthday child. This is the height of conceit and fosters a spirit of get, selfishness, and self-worship. Self, self, self! The whole extravaganza creates pride and lofty conceit in selfishness in a child. The typical birthday party is therefore one of the deceptions of the devil, made to look attractive and nice on the outside, but full of wickedness on the inside.
Yet we were supposed to grovel at the feet of our humble Apostle (HWA), evangelists and pastors. Men who were self-centered, narcissistic, egotistical, self-righteous and self-worshipping. We were to be in awe of their presence and the words that spilled from their mouths. It was all about, ME, ME, ME! Just look at Flurry, Pack, Weinland, Cox and Meredith. It is all about them. Their words are the most significant words ever uttered on earth. They are Elijah's, One of the Two Witnesses, God's Anointed, Apostles, Pastor Generals, etc. Stand in awe and continue to be amazed!
Then in wondrous glory, Apostate Malm concludes with this STERN warning:
I say:
2 Cor 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
And I mean it! Almighty God also means it! We are NOT to indulge in the pagan practices of this world. By partaking of the sins of this world; if we do we shall be corrected for our good by our God.
Nowhere in all the Bible is the birthday of ANY person of God revealed! WHY? Because are carnal nature would cause us to run off to celebrate that day. We would then celebrate Christ Mass and saints days throughout the year!
If God wanted us to observe birthdays, then he would surely have t0ld us the birthday of Christ so that we could honour him in that fashion. Instead we are told to honour him be observing the day of his DEATH! And the day of his ascension to the Father to be accepted for us as our sacrifice and High Priest on Wave Offering Sunday!
The observance of Birthdays is so utterly wrapped up in paganism that we cannot avoid becoming polluted if we choose to observe them. The only thing that can be done in good conscience before God is to simply acknowledge the passing of another year, while avoiding all the partying and pagan hype.
