I wanted to start the Christmas Season off as a reminder on why we celebrate Christmas. I get a lot of reasons why we shouldn't celebrate Christmas more then why we should. I am not going to bore you with all the reasons why we shouldn't celebrate Christmas because there is plenty of room for there to be a Christmas. You can find alot of information on the web that shows that Christmas was spawned from pagan beliefs. Just about everything Christmas, is absolutely against the teachings in the Bible, the Tora, and Islam. All three of these Monotheistic religions reject the idea that Christ was born on this day. The reason that December 25th was accepted was to avoid celebrating on pagan holidays that was going on at the time. The real date (as estimated) was around the month of Tishri (September). The article from Bibleinfo says.....
< quote>
The date of Jesus' birth?
Therefore, according to the texts above we can approximate the month of Jesus’ birth to be around the time of Tishri (mid to late September). To arrive at this date, start at the conception of John the Baptist, Sivan (June), count forward six months to arrive at Gabriel’s announcement of the conception of Jesus, Kislev (December), then count forward nine more months, the time it takes for human gestation, to reach Tishri (September), when Jesus was born.
Christmas Time has many pro's and Con's. While everyone of us has a different way of celebrating this time of year, it is by far the most stressful time of the year. Let's take a look at just a few of the pro's and con's.....
CON'S:
. Exhausting buy buy buy commercials that gets your head spinning. (lets not forget, that this starts in august)
. Traffic jams.
. Black Friday
. Suicide rates increase
. Often times, bad news rears it's ugly head by way of past due bills, garnishments, etc. I have experienced this myself. Collectors
want their money before this Holiday gets into full swing before you spend what they believe to be theirs.
. Chistmas time brings out more thieves then anyother time of the year.
I could go on and on, but let's not make this a complete downer.
PRO'S:
. The most beautiful time of the year. Winter begins to take shape. The snow and leaves on the ground begins to kick off that
wonderful feeling that Christmas is just around the corner. The lights, smells, beauty, accompanied with that over all warm
feeling that seems to take forever to to come back around. I have noticed in my life that people during this great Holiday Season
tend to be more happy and inviting whether pretensious or not, it still feels better then January thru September.
. Families become closer and tend to spend more time during this season.
. Christmas can also bring past memories back into focus on those who are with us, and those who have gone on to be with the
Lord. Who amongst you cannot bring up a great memory of a Christmas in times past. I can think of many memories myself.
. The food.....mmmmm.... Can't say anymore on this now. (Might gain weight if I do, since I still have last years candy).
. GIVING.... People tend to be more giving. A shirt for a homeless person, money, food, hug, etc. Sadly, most do not do this the rest
of the year.
. The Christmas music.....OH YEAH!!! Here are my most favorite songs that hits me to the core.... if there be no Christ or Christmas,
these songs would never have been born.... Here is a small sampling:
. Mary did you know - by: kenny rogers and Wynonna Rider / youtube / most beautiful....listen to the words
. O'Holy night - by: Celtic Woman/Chloe Agnew / youtube/ ..... really listen to words
. Best EVER - CHILLS.....BRRRRR.... youtube these words.
(The best Christmas Song I've ever heard. It will give you chills /youtube/ by Famifi
I could go on and on. For time and space concideration, I think you got my point.
Now, here comes the hard part. Christmas was born at a time when Paganism was pretty much the religion. You can find a lot of negativity online when it comes to Christianity and Christmas. We teach our children to never lie, and yet we teach them about Santa Clause. (I am guilty as well, but not anymore). We teach them that Santa will not bring them anything if they are bad. The problem is this.
1. WE ARE LYING... when we say no to lying re: santa clause in this case.
2. It can be harmful to children if they got nothing for Christmas and yet their friends are boasting what they recieved. The child
could have been good, but finances was not there for gifts. Now the child thinks that Santa hates him/her and could result in
further behavior problems and or confusion.
3. I get told all the time that we follow a pagan holiday. You can find this information at www.humanreligions.info
however, that may have been so in the early centuries, but I believe that Christianity showed the world that we celebrate it
in it's truest form today. so, what does the Bible say about christmas?
< quote>
www.gotquestions.org
Answer: The debate about whether or not Christians should celebrate Christmas has been raging for centuries. There are equally sincere and committed Christians on both sides of the issue, each with multiple reasons why or why not Christmas should be celebrated in Christian homes. But what does the Bible say? Does the Bible give clear direction as to whether Christmas is a holiday to be celebrated by Christians?
First, let’s look at the reasons why some Christians do not celebrate Christmas. One argument against Christmas is that the traditions surrounding the holiday have origins in paganism. Searching for reliable information on this topic is difficult because the origins of many of our traditions are so obscure that sources often contradict one another. Bells, candles, holly, and yuletide/yule decorations are mentioned in the history of pagan worship, but the use of such in one’s home certainly does not indicate a return to paganism. While there are definitely pagan roots to some traditions, there are many more traditions associated with the true meaning of Christmas—the birth of the Savior of the world in Bethlehem. Bells are played to ring out the joyous news, candles are lit to remind us that Christ is the Light of the world (John 1:4-9), a star is placed on the top of a Christmas tree to remember the Star of Bethlehem, and gifts are exchanged to remind us of the gifts of the Magi to Jesus, the greatest gift of God to mankind.
Another argument against Christmas, especially having a Christmas tree, is that the Bible forbids bringing trees into our homes and decorating them. The passage often cited is Jeremiah 10:1-16, but this passage refers to cutting down trees, chiseling the wood to make an idol, and then decorating the idol with silver and gold for the purpose of bowing down before it to worship it (see also Isaiah 44:9-18). The passage in Jeremiah cannot be taken out of its context and used to make a legitimate argument against Christmas trees.
Christians who choose to ignore Christmas point to the fact that the Bible doesn’t give us the date of Christ’s birth, which is certainly true. December 25 may not be even close to the time Jesus was born, and arguments on both sides are legion, some relating to climate in Israel, the practices of shepherds in winter, and the dates of Roman census-taking. None of these points are without a certain amount of conjecture, which brings us back to the fact that the Bible doesn’t tell us when Jesus was born. Some see this as proof positive that God didn’t want us to celebrate the birth, while others see the Bible’s silence on the issue as tacit approval.
Some Christians say that since the world celebrates Christmas—although it is becoming more and more politically correct to refer to it as “the holidays”—Christians should avoid it. But that is the same argument made by false religions that deny Christ altogether, as well as cults such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses who deny His deity. Those Christians who do celebrate Christmas often see the occasion as an opportunity to proclaim Christ as “the reason for the season” among the nations and to those trapped in false religions.
As we have seen, there is no legitimate scriptural reason not to celebrate Christmas. At the same time, there is no biblical mandate to celebrate it, either. In the end, of course, whether or not to celebrate Christmas is a personal decision. Whatever Christians decide to do regarding Christmas, their views should not be used as a club with which to beat down or denigrate those with opposing views, nor should either view be used as a badge of honor inducing pride over celebrating or not celebrating. As in all things, we seek wisdom from Him who gives it liberally to all who ask (James 1:5) and accept one another in Christian love and grace, regardless of our views on Christmas.
Recommended Resource: The Case for Christmas by Lee Strobel
final thought......
Christmas is the reason for the season...... KEEP IT HOLY !!!!
NOW....... Go and ENJOY Christmas.....
< quote>
The date of Jesus' birth?
Therefore, according to the texts above we can approximate the month of Jesus’ birth to be around the time of Tishri (mid to late September). To arrive at this date, start at the conception of John the Baptist, Sivan (June), count forward six months to arrive at Gabriel’s announcement of the conception of Jesus, Kislev (December), then count forward nine more months, the time it takes for human gestation, to reach Tishri (September), when Jesus was born.
Christmas Time has many pro's and Con's. While everyone of us has a different way of celebrating this time of year, it is by far the most stressful time of the year. Let's take a look at just a few of the pro's and con's.....
CON'S:
. Exhausting buy buy buy commercials that gets your head spinning. (lets not forget, that this starts in august)
. Traffic jams.
. Black Friday
. Suicide rates increase
. Often times, bad news rears it's ugly head by way of past due bills, garnishments, etc. I have experienced this myself. Collectors
want their money before this Holiday gets into full swing before you spend what they believe to be theirs.
. Chistmas time brings out more thieves then anyother time of the year.
I could go on and on, but let's not make this a complete downer.
PRO'S:
. The most beautiful time of the year. Winter begins to take shape. The snow and leaves on the ground begins to kick off that
wonderful feeling that Christmas is just around the corner. The lights, smells, beauty, accompanied with that over all warm
feeling that seems to take forever to to come back around. I have noticed in my life that people during this great Holiday Season
tend to be more happy and inviting whether pretensious or not, it still feels better then January thru September.
. Families become closer and tend to spend more time during this season.
. Christmas can also bring past memories back into focus on those who are with us, and those who have gone on to be with the
Lord. Who amongst you cannot bring up a great memory of a Christmas in times past. I can think of many memories myself.
. The food.....mmmmm.... Can't say anymore on this now. (Might gain weight if I do, since I still have last years candy).
. GIVING.... People tend to be more giving. A shirt for a homeless person, money, food, hug, etc. Sadly, most do not do this the rest
of the year.
. The Christmas music.....OH YEAH!!! Here are my most favorite songs that hits me to the core.... if there be no Christ or Christmas,
these songs would never have been born.... Here is a small sampling:
. Mary did you know - by: kenny rogers and Wynonna Rider / youtube / most beautiful....listen to the words
. O'Holy night - by: Celtic Woman/Chloe Agnew / youtube/ ..... really listen to words
. Best EVER - CHILLS.....BRRRRR.... youtube these words.
(The best Christmas Song I've ever heard. It will give you chills /youtube/ by Famifi
I could go on and on. For time and space concideration, I think you got my point.
Now, here comes the hard part. Christmas was born at a time when Paganism was pretty much the religion. You can find a lot of negativity online when it comes to Christianity and Christmas. We teach our children to never lie, and yet we teach them about Santa Clause. (I am guilty as well, but not anymore). We teach them that Santa will not bring them anything if they are bad. The problem is this.
1. WE ARE LYING... when we say no to lying re: santa clause in this case.
2. It can be harmful to children if they got nothing for Christmas and yet their friends are boasting what they recieved. The child
could have been good, but finances was not there for gifts. Now the child thinks that Santa hates him/her and could result in
further behavior problems and or confusion.
3. I get told all the time that we follow a pagan holiday. You can find this information at www.humanreligions.info
however, that may have been so in the early centuries, but I believe that Christianity showed the world that we celebrate it
in it's truest form today. so, what does the Bible say about christmas?
< quote>
www.gotquestions.org
Answer: The debate about whether or not Christians should celebrate Christmas has been raging for centuries. There are equally sincere and committed Christians on both sides of the issue, each with multiple reasons why or why not Christmas should be celebrated in Christian homes. But what does the Bible say? Does the Bible give clear direction as to whether Christmas is a holiday to be celebrated by Christians?
First, let’s look at the reasons why some Christians do not celebrate Christmas. One argument against Christmas is that the traditions surrounding the holiday have origins in paganism. Searching for reliable information on this topic is difficult because the origins of many of our traditions are so obscure that sources often contradict one another. Bells, candles, holly, and yuletide/yule decorations are mentioned in the history of pagan worship, but the use of such in one’s home certainly does not indicate a return to paganism. While there are definitely pagan roots to some traditions, there are many more traditions associated with the true meaning of Christmas—the birth of the Savior of the world in Bethlehem. Bells are played to ring out the joyous news, candles are lit to remind us that Christ is the Light of the world (John 1:4-9), a star is placed on the top of a Christmas tree to remember the Star of Bethlehem, and gifts are exchanged to remind us of the gifts of the Magi to Jesus, the greatest gift of God to mankind.
Another argument against Christmas, especially having a Christmas tree, is that the Bible forbids bringing trees into our homes and decorating them. The passage often cited is Jeremiah 10:1-16, but this passage refers to cutting down trees, chiseling the wood to make an idol, and then decorating the idol with silver and gold for the purpose of bowing down before it to worship it (see also Isaiah 44:9-18). The passage in Jeremiah cannot be taken out of its context and used to make a legitimate argument against Christmas trees.
Christians who choose to ignore Christmas point to the fact that the Bible doesn’t give us the date of Christ’s birth, which is certainly true. December 25 may not be even close to the time Jesus was born, and arguments on both sides are legion, some relating to climate in Israel, the practices of shepherds in winter, and the dates of Roman census-taking. None of these points are without a certain amount of conjecture, which brings us back to the fact that the Bible doesn’t tell us when Jesus was born. Some see this as proof positive that God didn’t want us to celebrate the birth, while others see the Bible’s silence on the issue as tacit approval.
Some Christians say that since the world celebrates Christmas—although it is becoming more and more politically correct to refer to it as “the holidays”—Christians should avoid it. But that is the same argument made by false religions that deny Christ altogether, as well as cults such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses who deny His deity. Those Christians who do celebrate Christmas often see the occasion as an opportunity to proclaim Christ as “the reason for the season” among the nations and to those trapped in false religions.
As we have seen, there is no legitimate scriptural reason not to celebrate Christmas. At the same time, there is no biblical mandate to celebrate it, either. In the end, of course, whether or not to celebrate Christmas is a personal decision. Whatever Christians decide to do regarding Christmas, their views should not be used as a club with which to beat down or denigrate those with opposing views, nor should either view be used as a badge of honor inducing pride over celebrating or not celebrating. As in all things, we seek wisdom from Him who gives it liberally to all who ask (James 1:5) and accept one another in Christian love and grace, regardless of our views on Christmas.
Recommended Resource: The Case for Christmas by Lee Strobel
final thought......
Christmas is the reason for the season...... KEEP IT HOLY !!!!
NOW....... Go and ENJOY Christmas.....
Sent from the Check for Hotmail app
THIS IS NOT SPAM...CHECK OUT MY BUSINESS.... THIS IS AMAZING!!!
I RELAX EVERY NIGHT WITH ESSENTIAL OILS. GO TO WWW.YOUNGLIVING.COM. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, CONTACT ME VIA THIS EMAIL, AND I WILL GIVE MORE DETAILS. I PROMISE YOU THAT YOU WILL ENJOY THIS AS MUCH AS I DO. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.... CONTACT INFO:
TERRY SEEMAN - DISTRIBUTOR # 16084320
TERRY SEEMAN - DISTRIBUTOR # 16084320
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.