>>>You may be none of these, for a Calvinistic friend of mine (Presby.) would say "Amen" to all your statements, excepting personal birthdays<<<<<

Now here's something that you can witness to your Calvinistic "Presby" friend regarding "personal birthdays" (or for that matter, any others):

"For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."
(Isaiah 14:13-15)


Closely note the words, "I WILL". They were repeated five times by the "son of the morning", Lucifer -- now called "Satan." Do we note an air of "PRIDE" in that which he spoke? But he was then (and still is) a "spirit" being. What about "man"? Does God hate pride in man as well?

"HEAR"-ken what He tells the nation of Israel, which by the way, now goes for the GENTILES that know Him as well...!!!:

"And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the PRIDE of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:"
(Leviticus 26:18-19)

Do you get the unmistakable impression that God HATES...PRIDE? If not, you've been listening and HEAR-kening unto men again.
LISTEN...


"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: PRIDE, and arrogancy,
and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate."
(Proverbs 8:13)

But as Christians, of course, we already know this. But why then can't you figure out what's wrong with celebrating your own personal PRIDEFUL "Me Day"?

Let's see, so far we know that we have a very real spiritual enemy that, short of taking us to Hell with him, will then settle for SECOND BEST. Ensure the "believer" tells no one else about the lies of this earth that he's perpetuated and through this, ultimately keep that believer from having any rewards once he gets there (that place that he was kicked out of, by the way!). Satan knows exactly what Heaven is like --he had the "best-of-the-best" there (under his former name and position).

But "Oh," you say, "There's nothing wrong with celebrating one's own birthday! You want people to think there's something wrong with me?" Well if there's nothing wrong with it, let's turn to our "Owner's Manual" and see just exactly "who" in our Holy Bible celebrated their birthdays?

"And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday,
that he made a feast unto all his servants:"
(Genesis 40:20)

"But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them..."
(Matthew 14:6)


"Gosh, wasn't there anyone else?" The answer is an emphatic NO! Not the Lord, not any of the Prophets, none of the Disciples, and No one else in the NT. "OH!! It must be alright then! It's not mentioned in the New Testament!!"

Let's see what your "best friend" in encouraging you to
"CELEBRATE YOUR OWN PERSONAL BIRTHDAY" has to say:


[These two excerpts are from 'The Satanic Bible' by Anton Szandor LaVey, subheading: 'RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS', p.96]:
"The highest of all holidays in the Satanic religion is the date of one's own birth. This is in direct contradiction to the holy of holy days of other religions, which deify a particular god who has been created in an anthropomorphic form of their own image, thereby showing that the ego is not really buried.
Despite the fact that some of us may not have been wanted, or at least were not particularly planned, we're glad, even if no one else is, that we're here! You should give yourself a pat on the back, buy yourself whatever you want, treat yourself like the king (or god) that you are, and generally celebrate your birthday with as much pomp and ceremony as possible."
Will Celebrating your own personal birthday keep you from going to Heaven? Being on the other end of God's wrath through one of the things that He HATES -- "PRIDE"...I'll let you find out....

PRACTICES IN OPPOSITION TO THE ACCEPTED WAYS OF THE LORD
CAN ONLY BE IN HONOUR OF: "ANOTHER JESUS".

"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their own lust...they willingly are ignorant..."
(2 Peter 3:3-5)

PS: In my line of work, I don't mind using the enemy's documents against him.