Go ahead and celebrate the holidays! Leave off all the pagan symbols and bobbles and then it might be true you are really making this time about Christ. Let's take a look at what we would have to remove in order to remove all pagan symbols.
"Yule festivities are a mixture of customs and beliefs going back many years before Jesus was born." Pagan Background of Christmas"
The Christmas tree: Decorated by early Germans as a celebration of the god of "odin." This was also used in tree worship.
Every one of these elements of modern Christianity came out of pagan worship and were added to Catholicism in order to entice the pagans to meld with Catholicism.
The mistletoe: associated with fertility rituals
Gift giving: associated with the Romans blessing their false gods.
The wreaths: The pagans used these as a symbol of fertility, they were place on the heads of people during pagan holy days.
Ornaments on trees were placed on trees outside to appease the gods.
Holly: associated with the god of winter to drive off evil spirits
The advent candles: in paganism the lighting of the candle was done in hope for the return of the sun in the spring. Apparently to the sun god.
The bows of holly: The pagans still assign power to the bows of holly in their ritual.
Santa Clause: a myth to promote gift giving by a false god
The elves: A type of human type supernatural being found in Germanic worship.
The Raindeer: the horned god of the pagans
The bells: announcing the number of days before the solstice
Having said all this, remember that there was only one celebration Christ gave us and it was to be done every time we come together, that is the Lord's Supper.
Luke 22:19 "…18 For I tell you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you."
1 Corinthians 11:20-34 Whenever you come together!!!
Friday, November 23, 2018
We Can Get Though The Holidays in Peace
AND YES, it is possible to get through the holidays without celebrating anything at all. I enjoy the holidays, not because I do anything concerning them, but because I am relaxed, unencumbered and at peace for all the lack of meaningless activity.
My greatest joy is celebrating the Lord's supper, the only celebration Christ gave His children. There my joy is full and thee is great peace.
1 Corinthians 11:23-32
"23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number [d]sleep.
31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world."
My greatest joy is celebrating the Lord's supper, the only celebration Christ gave His children. There my joy is full and thee is great peace.
1 Corinthians 11:23-32
"23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number [d]sleep.
31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world."
The gods of Paganism
Let us not connect the holidays with Christ. It is a false gospel that uses Christmas trees and decorations to bring a message about Christ.
When an unbeliever sees all those decorations associated with "Christmas" they immediately associate those things with Santa Clause, the false god of Catholicism.
We should be celebrating Christ as the risen One not as a baby in the manger.
We should be celebrating the cross of Christ without a pagan "Easter" celebration.
God hates mixing his truth with pagan lies, its that simple.
Here is what a secular media, Wikipedia says about the holidays;
"Many popular customs associated with Christmas developed independently of the commemoration of Jesus' birth, with certain elements having origins in pre-Christian festivals that were celebrated around the winter solstice by pagan populations who were later converted to Christianity."
Even the seculars understand where these celebrations come from and are delighted for the culture to return to them.
Isaiah 1:13-15 "…13 Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me—your New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. 14 I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts; they have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.…"
My God has risen from the dead as fully God and fully man, He is no longer a helpless baby in a pile of hay, He is God and He is risen. The god of these pagan celebrations is not the God of the Bible
God is not pleased with claiming a holiday is about Him when within it possesses and endorsement of pagan practices.
And yes, this is radical thinking for most Christians. They make excuses about using pagan symbols to justify enjoying the "pleasures" of the season.
There are those who would claim these holidays are about Christ but their gatherings say nothing about Him except at the meal prayer. They do not meet around the Bible, prayer and worship, they pretend honor of God while perverting worship.
This is a hard teaching, most will not accept it because they are entrenched with extended family in these holidays. The truth of the matter is that anyone who decides to give up the holidays will be gossiped about, maligned and rejected for their commitment to truth.
There are many good people who have been raised all their lives with these holidays and cannot bring themselves to ask God. Many are saved, many love the Lord but remain deceived about these pagan celebrations that have been mixed with the name of Christ
When the name of Christ has been mixed with paganism it is no longer about Christ.
The word "Christmas' comes from the Catholic "mass", meaning to resacrifice Christ as every gathering. It is called "the sacrifice of the mass." Every time you use the word "Christmas" you are extolling the value of the Catholic mass.
If you believe your "Christmas" is not paganized, then perhaps you should evaluate the symbols and idols that are used during this time that negate God's Word.
ASK GOD! Do not come here to convince me of your belief about the Christmas season as good, just go to prayer. Any argument against what I have said to challenge one another to greater holiness, will be removed.
Exodus 20:3
“You shall have no other gods before me."
Habakkuk 2:18
“What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols!"
It is possible that I would lose friends over this matter, it has happened before. I hope not, I must remain faithful to God above anyone else's feelings or traditions.
May everyone go to prayer asking God to reveal truth to them on this matter of pagan holidays.
When an unbeliever sees all those decorations associated with "Christmas" they immediately associate those things with Santa Clause, the false god of Catholicism.
We should be celebrating Christ as the risen One not as a baby in the manger.
We should be celebrating the cross of Christ without a pagan "Easter" celebration.
God hates mixing his truth with pagan lies, its that simple.
Here is what a secular media, Wikipedia says about the holidays;
"Many popular customs associated with Christmas developed independently of the commemoration of Jesus' birth, with certain elements having origins in pre-Christian festivals that were celebrated around the winter solstice by pagan populations who were later converted to Christianity."
Even the seculars understand where these celebrations come from and are delighted for the culture to return to them.
Isaiah 1:13-15 "…13 Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me—your New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. 14 I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts; they have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.…"
My God has risen from the dead as fully God and fully man, He is no longer a helpless baby in a pile of hay, He is God and He is risen. The god of these pagan celebrations is not the God of the Bible
God is not pleased with claiming a holiday is about Him when within it possesses and endorsement of pagan practices.
And yes, this is radical thinking for most Christians. They make excuses about using pagan symbols to justify enjoying the "pleasures" of the season.
There are those who would claim these holidays are about Christ but their gatherings say nothing about Him except at the meal prayer. They do not meet around the Bible, prayer and worship, they pretend honor of God while perverting worship.
This is a hard teaching, most will not accept it because they are entrenched with extended family in these holidays. The truth of the matter is that anyone who decides to give up the holidays will be gossiped about, maligned and rejected for their commitment to truth.
There are many good people who have been raised all their lives with these holidays and cannot bring themselves to ask God. Many are saved, many love the Lord but remain deceived about these pagan celebrations that have been mixed with the name of Christ
When the name of Christ has been mixed with paganism it is no longer about Christ.
The word "Christmas' comes from the Catholic "mass", meaning to resacrifice Christ as every gathering. It is called "the sacrifice of the mass." Every time you use the word "Christmas" you are extolling the value of the Catholic mass.
If you believe your "Christmas" is not paganized, then perhaps you should evaluate the symbols and idols that are used during this time that negate God's Word.
ASK GOD! Do not come here to convince me of your belief about the Christmas season as good, just go to prayer. Any argument against what I have said to challenge one another to greater holiness, will be removed.
Exodus 20:3
“You shall have no other gods before me."
Habakkuk 2:18
“What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols!"
It is possible that I would lose friends over this matter, it has happened before. I hope not, I must remain faithful to God above anyone else's feelings or traditions.
May everyone go to prayer asking God to reveal truth to them on this matter of pagan holidays.
Freedom in Christ
There is such freedom in seeking Christ. Until one is broken and contrite they cannot understand the healing associated with the love of God to deliver us from our sin and worries. Notice I didn't say deliver us from our troubles! We can be delivered from sin and no longer worry right in the midst of our trials.
God doesn't always deliver us from trials, they teach us, but He will go through with us.
When we are all tangled up in human tradition and emotionalism we are inbondage to the wiles of the devil.
If the devil can keep us seeking good feelings continually he can keep us on a roller coaster ride without any hope of steadiness and courage.
It is in reasoning through things with our minds using God's Word as the Holy Spirit reveals truth to us. Yes there are good feelings associated with seeking Christ, but the feelings are not the objective, the truth is the real objective.
Feelings are a residual effect of stimuli, they are not truth often. We tend to think if something or someone makes us feel good then that thing or person must be good. If something or someone makes us feel bad then that person or that thing is bad.
Truth in the beginning of our search for God will make us "feel" bad. We feel bad because we are ashamed of our sinfulness. If we respond correctly in contrition desiring to be changed into a new creation by Christ then that bad feeling leads us to cleansing and the good feeling that come from being cleansed by Christ are far more satisfying and lasting.
Freedom in Christ comes when we are broken over our sinfulness first. Then Christ comes to cleanse us from that sinfulness, the sinfulness no longer controls us any longer, while covering it in His blood.
After all that, Christ lives in us and continues to cleanse us of dead works and a prideful spirit.
1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us."
One cannot be cleansed without confession. God will not work in someone who will not admit there is sin in their heart.
Ezekiel 36:25
"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols."
God doesn't always deliver us from trials, they teach us, but He will go through with us.
When we are all tangled up in human tradition and emotionalism we are inbondage to the wiles of the devil.
If the devil can keep us seeking good feelings continually he can keep us on a roller coaster ride without any hope of steadiness and courage.
It is in reasoning through things with our minds using God's Word as the Holy Spirit reveals truth to us. Yes there are good feelings associated with seeking Christ, but the feelings are not the objective, the truth is the real objective.
Feelings are a residual effect of stimuli, they are not truth often. We tend to think if something or someone makes us feel good then that thing or person must be good. If something or someone makes us feel bad then that person or that thing is bad.
Truth in the beginning of our search for God will make us "feel" bad. We feel bad because we are ashamed of our sinfulness. If we respond correctly in contrition desiring to be changed into a new creation by Christ then that bad feeling leads us to cleansing and the good feeling that come from being cleansed by Christ are far more satisfying and lasting.
Freedom in Christ comes when we are broken over our sinfulness first. Then Christ comes to cleanse us from that sinfulness, the sinfulness no longer controls us any longer, while covering it in His blood.
After all that, Christ lives in us and continues to cleanse us of dead works and a prideful spirit.
1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us."
One cannot be cleansed without confession. God will not work in someone who will not admit there is sin in their heart.
Ezekiel 36:25
"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols."
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