advent Celebrate or not

[Revlori]

Hello everyone

As we are closing in on Christmas, I thought that I'd open a question as we prepare For the holidays.

The question that is asked is 

Should Christians celebrate Advent?

a little history about advent:

The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Scholars believe that during the 4th and 5th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus.his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist  and his first miracle at Cana during this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.

By the 6th century, however, Roman Christians had tied Advent to the coming of Christ. But the “coming” they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. It was not until the Middle Ages that the Advent season was explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at Christmas.

(Source: Christianity.com)

So what is advent?

The Christian Advent tradition celebrates the coming of Jesus to earth through His birth in Bethlehem. As well as the celebration of his second coming to earth which all Christians are waiting.

Is Advent biblical?

The birth of Christ that is celebrated throughout Advent is based on biblical events and includes much Scripture. As well as the verses from the word that pertain to the coming of Christ.           To balance the two elements of remembrance and anticipation, the first two Sundays in Advent (through December 16th) look forward to Christ’s second coming, and the last two Sundays (December 17th – 24th) look backward to remember Christ’s first coming. Over the course of the four weeks, Scripture readings move from passages about Christ’s return in judgment to Old Testament passages about the expectation of the coming Messiah to New Testament passages about the announcements of Christ’s arrival by John the Baptist and the Angels.

For more details please go to: https://www.christianity.com/christian-life/christmas/what-is-advent.html

Dates for this year's advent season: 

Advent 2019 begins on Sunday, December 1st and ends December 24th

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

The question is: Should Christians celebrate Advent?

 

[ReneeIW]

12 minutes ago, Revlori said:

 

The question is: Should Christians celebrate Advent?

Never thought about this before, but if it is what you say it is, I don’t see a problem with celebrating it if it makes one feel closer and more committed to Christ. The goal for a Christian, in my opinion, is to keep our eyes fixed on Christ, that is what shapes our life. If celebrating  Advent helps with that, then why not?

[Justin Adams]

One may celebrate as one sees fit. The apostle said, have you not seen, have you not heard? And then says, yes you have indeed; and he quotes from the Tanakh where it says the heavens declare the glory of God (or in Masoretic text - the line). The line refers to the ecliptic in the sky where indeed, stars show us what the magi and others saw, Virgo and the twelve stars in the constellation Leo with the dragon below. Revelation and Daniel refer to it and astronomers can fix the date at 3BC September the 11th. There is an 80 minute window of time when those stars were to be seen as stated. Star charts today can backtrack this and see that arrangement heralding the birth of the Messiah. In the time of the Tanakh, there were not sophisticated star maps, but the ancients knew what they were looking for and when the saw it they came to where the child lay, guided by yet another (probably supernatural) star.

Edited November 7, 2019 by Justin Adams

[Who me]

Why not. To look in expectation of something one is awaiting is not wrong.

For me it depends what one means by advent. In my church the four sundays before Christmas are often a celebration of the coming of Jesus and an examination of what his coming means.

 

[JohnD]

A retired pastor lives on my route. We briefly discussed the true origin of Christmas. 

It was the pagan fertility feast Saturnalia. Which the Roman Catholics in effect "Christianized."

It's great that the pagan orgy / child sacrifice feast was replaced by decorated trees, yule logs,

and mistletoe. Nearly all cultures (including unbelievers) have adopted this holiday... and I'm thankful for 

the cease fires in the name of peace on Earth good will toward man...

But Jesus was not born on December 25th... that or the account in Luke is wrong about the shepherds watching their

flocks in the fields by night.

The pastor and I disagree... he thinks it was better to claim it as the birthday of Jesus than to do nothing about Saturnalia. 

I believe attaching any untruth to he who is THE Truth is wrong.

As an atheist I witnessed to years ago said... "Oh, Santa Claus is fake, and Jesus is real?"

If you are going to celebrate Christmas have a wonderful time!

But it's not the day Jesus was born. And it's really not about him anyway.

The parties, gifts, get togethers, etc. far outweigh the cantata  or other "bones" thrown to the Savior at this time of year.

Dr. David Jeremiah (years ago at least) used to have an actor hanging on a cross depicting Jesus at the end of the Christmas

pageant at his Church in El Cajon, California (San Diego). Tying in the reason the baby Jesus was born... to die for our sins.

That was something out of the norm and expressing the Gospel message at least.  

 

[missmuffet]

On 11/7/2019 at 9:57 AM, Revlori said:

Hello everyone

As we are closing in on Christmas, I thought that I'd open a question as we prepare For the holidays.

The question that is asked is 

Should Christians celebrate Advent?

a little history about advent:

The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Scholars believe that during the 4th and 5th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus.his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist  and his first miracle at Cana during this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.

By the 6th century, however, Roman Christians had tied Advent to the coming of Christ. But the “coming” they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. It was not until the Middle Ages that the Advent season was explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at Christmas.

(Source: Christianity.com)

So what is advent?

The Christian Advent tradition celebrates the coming of Jesus to earth through His birth in Bethlehem. As well as the celebration of his second coming to earth which all Christians are waiting.

Is Advent biblical?

The birth of Christ that is celebrated throughout Advent is based on biblical events and includes much Scripture. As well as the verses from the word that pertain to the coming of Christ.           To balance the two elements of remembrance and anticipation, the first two Sundays in Advent (through December 16th) look forward to Christ’s second coming, and the last two Sundays (December 17th – 24th) look backward to remember Christ’s first coming. Over the course of the four weeks, Scripture readings move from passages about Christ’s return in judgment to Old Testament passages about the expectation of the coming Messiah to New Testament passages about the announcements of Christ’s arrival by John the Baptist and the Angels.

For more details please go to: https://www.christianity.com/christian-life/christmas/what-is-advent.html

Dates for this year's advent season: 

Advent 2019 begins on Sunday, December 1st and ends December 24th

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

The question is: Should Christians celebrate Advent?

 

I celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. There certainly is nothing wrong with that. 

[Justin Adams]

2 hours ago, JohnD said:

and mistletoe

It is pagan. The testicles of the oak tree under which you kiss as a fertility rite.

Yeshua was born September 11th 3BC.

Yule is pagan and the pig-feast commemorates Tammuz' death is a kind of pagan christ. Tammuz was killed by a wild boar, and Semiramis who was his mother conceived him incestuously by Nimrod, her 'husband'. It is all very twisted and few dare read about it since they are too steeped in their own false ideas. 

Many Christians use pagan and demonic seasons to their detriment. Yet the true supernatural has been strip-mined out of their scriptures so they never really see this. 'As in the days of Noah' keeps coming to my mind.

Edited November 20, 2019 by Justin Adams

[JohnD]

6 hours ago, Justin Adams said:

It is pagan. The testicles of the oak tree under which you kiss as a fertility rite.

Yeshua was born September 11th 3BC.

Yule is pagan and the pig-feast commemorates Tammuz' death is a kind of pagan christ. Tammuz was killed by a wild boar, and Semiramis who was his mother conceived him incestuously by Nimrod, her 'husband'. It is all very twisted and few dare read about it since they are too steeped in their own false ideas. 

Many Christians use pagan and demonic seasons to their detriment. Yet the true supernatural has been strip-mined out of their scriptures so they never really see this. 'As in the days of Noah' keeps coming to my mind.

Yep.

Not to start a full blown heresy hunt here... but the Roman Imperial take over of the faith

has lasting ramifications that echo through all denominations and divisions of Christianity to this

very second.

It does not stop Christianity  but it hinders Christianity and 

it makes legitimizing who people believe is the genuine Jesus

that much more difficult.

I fear Matthew 7:21-23 will happen to far more people than

few could ever imagine...

counterfeit Jesus's are everywhere (just like Jesus himself warned in Matthew 24 and other places, like

the Apostle Paul warned in 2 Corinthians 11 and Galatians 1)...

and these false christs are championed by the traditions of man churches / denominations which is starling

how great that potential number is.

Broad is the way to destruction narrow the path to life ← and FEW there are that find it.

Mark 7:13 flatly states that the traditions of man NULLIFY the Word of God.

The Word of God is how we authenticate truth / fact / reality Acts 17:11 / 2 Timothy 3:16-17 / Hebrews 4:12 

God help us!

[Justin Adams]

12 minutes ago, JohnD said:

God help us!

I agree with you. It is a path strewn with land-mines and other-worldly pitfalls. But we win in the end...

[Billiards Ball]

On 11/7/2019 at 12:57 PM, Revlori said:

Hello everyone

As we are closing in on Christmas, I thought that I'd open a question as we prepare For the holidays.

The question that is asked is 

Should Christians celebrate Advent?

a little history about advent:

The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Scholars believe that during the 4th and 5th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus.his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist  and his first miracle at Cana during this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.

By the 6th century, however, Roman Christians had tied Advent to the coming of Christ. But the “coming” they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. It was not until the Middle Ages that the Advent season was explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at Christmas.

(Source: Christianity.com)

So what is advent?

The Christian Advent tradition celebrates the coming of Jesus to earth through His birth in Bethlehem. As well as the celebration of his second coming to earth which all Christians are waiting.

Is Advent biblical?

The birth of Christ that is celebrated throughout Advent is based on biblical events and includes much Scripture. As well as the verses from the word that pertain to the coming of Christ.           To balance the two elements of remembrance and anticipation, the first two Sundays in Advent (through December 16th) look forward to Christ’s second coming, and the last two Sundays (December 17th – 24th) look backward to remember Christ’s first coming. Over the course of the four weeks, Scripture readings move from passages about Christ’s return in judgment to Old Testament passages about the expectation of the coming Messiah to New Testament passages about the announcements of Christ’s arrival by John the Baptist and the Angels.

For more details please go to: https://www.christianity.com/christian-life/christmas/what-is-advent.html

Dates for this year's advent season: 

Advent 2019 begins on Sunday, December 1st and ends December 24th

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share.

The question is: Should Christians celebrate Advent?

 

Romans: "One Christian regards one day above another, another Christian regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind."

I used to LOVE Halloween (people come to me or I to them to give them candy and GOSPEL TRACTS) so I no longer care too much if a bunch of (Gentile) people celebrate with their druid advent trees or sing O Holy Night as they should, with all their heart.