Keep Jesus in it...

Client Joined: Jul 18, 2003 Posts: 977

...a woman was Christmas shopping with her two small children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and hours of hearing both asking for everything they saw, they finally made it to the elevator.

She was feeling what so many of us may feel during the holiday season each year -- pressure to go to every party, housewarming, pressure to find the perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, and making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list ...

Finally the doors opened and there was a crowd in the elevator. She dragged her children and all the bags of stuff into the elevator. She couldn't take it anymore and said , "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be strung up and shot."

From the back of the elevator, a quiet calm voice responded , "Don't worry , we already crucified Him."

Keep the One who started this whole 'Christmas thing' in your every thought, word and deed, as well as in each special purchase. If everyone did this, just think of how different this whole world would be.

HAVE A MOST BLESSED
THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS SEASON !!!

...For unto you is born this day,in the city of David,
a Savior who is Christ The Lord!!!

New Member Joined: Oct 27, 2004 Posts: 18

Please read this article. Only registered users can see links on this board! Get registered or login!
Not trying to start anything but please read it.

Site Admin/Owner Joined: Aug 27, 2002 Posts: 17088

Excellent!

registered · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:55 pm

You guys know me and know I don't want to offend anyone and so I am going to say what I think. Wink

I don't really care how the Christmas celebration came around. On Christmas day me and my 4 daughters and wife will sit around our little tree we cut down on Thanks Giving weekend and exchange gifts. We will read the Christmas story and celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I don't believe God will turn his head in disgust at this action. I believe His Spirit will be there with us as we celebrate the one and only reason for living.

If I sit in a garage long enough will I become a car? If I sit in church every weekend my whole life and yet never ask Christ into my heart I will not enter heaven. Just the same if I celebrate Christmas every year I am not condemed.

The disciples asked Christ what the most important commandment was. He could have said so much. There could have been chapter after chapter dedicated to it. Christ just said, "Love God and love others" (paraphrased). That is a heart condition Christ emphasized. That is what God is the most conserned with.

Now, I'm not the smartest guy. I can't tell you the origin of the Christmas celebration. I can't tell you how halloween got started (it isn't as cut and dried as everyone acts, it is a very gray area) and if it is right or wrong for Christians to celebrate. I think the debate on these two things is a waste of time. It just makes it sound like if you are going to be saved you gotta quit doing all kinds of stuff.

None of this is what the unsaved want to hear. They want to know what God has done in your life that is so great. If you say, "I used to drink and do drugs and now I don't" I doubt that will excite them much. Many of the unsaved do those things and don't see anything wrong with it. If you say, "The empty hole in my heart is now filled. I experience vitory over the things in my life I have always wanted to get rid of but never could. I no longer fear death and the future. I never feel alone in hard times. When all the world is falling down around me I have somewhere I can take my problems to". These are the things to get excited about.

Let's let God deal with each person on their personal decisions. Just because some people choose to celebrate a certain holiday in a negative way doesn't mean it is wrong to celebrate. I choose to take ground from Satan, not the other way around.

If someone has a conviction against certain holidays then good for them. They are being sensative to the direction of God in their life. It doesn't mean that convitcion is for everyone.

GorillaBoy, thank you for posting. Please don't take this as an attack on you, because it isn't. It is just my honest feelings on this subject.

I think this was the longest post in my life. ROTFL

Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 7:20 pm

When I said excellent, I should have qualified it. What I meant was it did an excellent job of detailing why some believe the way they do. It not only used Scripture, but it used Scripture in the context of when it was written. Now, we have to decide whether or not the way that we celebrate certain 'holidays' is violating Scripture or not. The tradition and reason's why God forbade certain practices may have been lost over time. We never taught our children that there is a Santa Clause. Why? Because we felt that they needed to understand from an early age that God is the giver of all good things, not man. However, we allowed them to participate in some of the Santa festivities with a clear conscience, knowing that they had learned a valuable lesson: How to be in this world and not of this world Wink

. And TE, the only comment I have from your post is that a conviction is not something that Christians can disagree on. If God said it, He meant it, and that settles it. For instance, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved'. Whether your 'convicted' or not, it doesn't change it. Convictions are nothing more/less than agreeing with God, not man.

Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:18 pm

TE, it's OK. I experienced this type of response before. I understand to a degree. I know it is not an attack on me. No problem, really. I would like to say a few things (a few, really). I do not bring any scriptures or say anything to condemn any one. Everyone has to answer for themselves to a just (his judgement is just) God.
1st - My 1st and foremost reason that I have chosen in this life for living is to please the love of my life, my saviour Yahshua (Jesus). I have tried to let him show me any area in my life that he might not or is not pleased with so that I may change it to his likeing.
2nd - Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7; 20:26; 1 Peter 1:16 and many many others tell us "Be ye Holy for I am Holy". The word holy means plainly - set apart unto the service of God. I strive every day of my life to set my self apart to the service of God. ( I am not trying to build myself up, just trying to bring something out.).
Saying that, I bring to you another scripture

Quote:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And 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. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
(2 Corinthians 6:14-17 KJV)

The way I see it is, if we are to be seperate from the unbelievers, that would definately mean we should stop doing alot of things. I ask you, does the unbeliever celebrate the "christian" holidays? If so the next question you should ask is. Why would darkness wish to participate in light. Why do they celebrate? You see, I am not saying these things will d*** a person. I am saying that there are things that the love of my life is not pleased with if I do them. Do not let your good be evil spoken of. Abstain from all appearances of evil. Him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin. His word tells us what pleases him. I don't live to be saved. I live to please him. I am in love! I wish to follow what Yahshua (Jesus) said to many. He told us what we need to do. He said on these two things hang all the law and the prophets (that is the old testament which is all they had then). 1 - Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength . 2 - Love your neighbor as yourself.
So, when I present something or say something. Most of the time I am not saying "if you don't do ______ you are going to hell!" I do believe there are things that will send us to hell. I am merely letting others see some things they may wish to consider. I understand when people do not agree with me and that is OK. I have no feelings one way or the other in that regard.

Gorilla

Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:56 pm

Hey Raven,

When I say personal convictions I don't mean things that are clearly outlined in the Bible.

For instance my parents won't go see Disney movies because of some of that companie's stances on social issues. I consider that a personal conviction.

And of course I have nothing but love for you both.

(not man love btw)

Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2004 3:00 pm

I refuse to have anything to do with the commercialism of Christmas. We celebrate a very simple Xmas with very traditional things. Many people wonder why I still call it Xmas though. Christmas really does have more to do then with Christ, but he just brought it all together with meaning. In everything I’ve read Christ was really born sometime in September, but that’s ok. I’ve celebrated my birthday late sometimes also. But the one thing that makes me hate the holiday is the fact everyone feels they are obligated to do everything already listed in the topic.

So I think that if everyone just cut all the BS out and celebrate the basics then the holiday will be truly enjoyable by everyone! Religions or not.

Client Joined: Apr 10, 2004 Posts: 649 Location: UK

I agree Christmas is way too commercial these days.

I think the whole concept of why we celebrate Christmas has been lost, and that because it has become a shop keepers dream to make money out of Christmas, it is teaching our children to be greedy expecting to get everything they want when they see them advertised on television and stacked in the shops.

It also encourages envy if some children from less well off families can't afford to buy them the latest video phones or i-Pods or whatever is the 'in thing' of the current season that those from wealthier families receive.

Surely this is a bad thing?

I agree with Webby, keep Christmas simple, it is the Lords birthday and a time we should be thankful for what we have not what we want.

Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2004 5:15 pm

The decline is the fault of the parents, most of all. Society would come next. I don't care where you are politically, morally, doctrinely, whether you're poor or rich, if your house is commercial, then either you were not raised right or you chose to reject the wisdom of your parents.

Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2004 5:44 pm

I agree with you there Raven.

Unfortunately we don't have children, but if we did I'd make sure they got their priorities right about what Christmas really should be about.

Regular Joined: Jun 09, 2004 Posts: 79

GorillaBoy wrote:

1st - My 1st and foremost reason that I have chosen in this life for living is to please the love of my life, my saviour Yahshua (Jesus). I have tried to let him show me any area in my life that he might not or is not pleased with so that I may change it to his likeing.

(2 Corinthians 6:14-17 KJV)
The way I see it is, if we are to be seperate from the unbelievers, that would definately mean we should stop doing alot of things. I ask you, does the unbeliever celebrate the "christian" holidays? If so the next question you should ask is. Why would darkness wish to participate in light. Why do they celebrate? You see, I am not saying these things will d*** a person. I am saying that there are things that the love of my life is not pleased with if I do them. Do not let your good be evil spoken of. Abstain from all appearances of evil. Him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin.

I loved your post and the article. I find it interesting that most of today's Christians are unwilling to give up Christmas, a holiday not mentioned in the Bible, but refuse to learn about the Lord's feast days, which are mentioned in the Bible.

Same thing with Easter paganism. However, I am seeing several Christian websites which state that although the holiday symbols originated in paganism, they have now taken on a deeper, more spiritual meaning, and to view them otherwise is just plain "silly." I would like to say that whatever meaning they may hold for people today has nothing to do with it. For example, let's say you are a person who is opposed to witchcraft. Some accomplishment you made one day gets presented with a symbol which you know to be associated with witchcraft. You are told that it no longer means witchcraft. Now it means accomplishment. I don't think you'd like it very much, and I cannot believe our Lord is pleased with the current mix of Christianity and paganism.

Matt 5:17-18
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
(KJV)