Should Christmas be celebrated or rejected according to the word of God?

[BibleStudent100]

On 12/5/2023 at 3:30 AM, Bro.Tan said:

Therefore, to celebrate Jesus' birth date on December 25th is not scripturally sound.

Thank you for sharing Brother Tan.

 

Yes, we do indeed need to worship God in "spring and truth," as John 4:24 states.  

[Vine Abider]

6 hours ago, Bro.Tan said:

So you believe Jesus would tell us to do things that we can't do, and most people never tried to really serve God. The bible says, we must not only be a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word also (James 1:21-22). DON'T FOOL YOURSELF! If we really have faith in Jesus our actions will prove it. If Jesus is our Lord then we will obey him. Even a child will obey a parent, by getting good grades in school, for the reward of a new bicycle. The child cannot earn money for the bicycle, but instead must act upon their faith to receive the free gift. We must do the same to receive eternal life. "FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD” (James 2:20).

Some say you must obey God's word, but then they turn around and teach contrary to God's word. At best they never get around to explaining exactly what kind of works are needed to get eternal life. A man asked Jesus this very question, "...What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?", and Jesus replied, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. (Matthew 19:16-19). See Exodus 20: 1-17

This was a direct answer to a direct question, which all of us will do well to take heed to. Anybody can claim to have faith, but actions speak louder than words. Faith and works go together and you can't have one without the other. "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12). 

And all I was saying is apart from Him you can do exactly zilch.  Only His life in you can do it bro (if you let Him) - not you.

[Your closest friendnt]

3 hours ago, Bro.Tan said:

Holly has been used in Christmas tradition for almost two thousand years. It's older, pagan origins began at least as early as ancient Rome, when holly was associated with Saturn, the sun god. In Druidic and other related pagan traditions, holly leaves were placed around homes in the winter in the belief that the fairies would use it as a shelter against the cold. Early Christians in the British Isles adopted this tradition at first to avoid persecution, but holly was eventually reinterpreted with Christian symbolism. The pointy edges represent the crown of thorns which Christ wore during his crucifixion. The red berries represent Christ's blood which he shed during His torture and death. 

Why can't we find the word Christmas in the Bible? Why don't we see in the Bible where Jesus, the apostles, or anyone else for that matter, celebrating his birthday? The Bible tells us to remember his death (which is the Passover); it says nothing about celebrating his birth. It doesn't even tell you when he was born.

"Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? For to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities. Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men. But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightning’s with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. 

Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish". (Jeremiah 10:1-15)

I can't agree with you, because you are talking about the beliefs of the English and Scots and Irish and you forget that the Gospel started from the areas around the minor Asian and spread to Cyprus and Crete and Macedonian are Egypt and Ethiopia and Greece and then Rome and Italy and not yet France and not yet England and the Scots and the Irish and the Islandic people.  

While Europe was full with the Gospel the English and Scott's and Irish at the least some of them were in deep darkness. In a very deep darkness because their religion was like that.

You forget that the Gospel at first was preached to Greeks in manor Asia and to the Jews through out Greece and Manor Asia.  

[Your closest friendnt]

5 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

And all I was saying is apart from Him you can do exactly zilch.  Only His life in you can do it bro (if you let Him) - not you.

The fact remains that the people in those cultures mentioned by Bro Tan have incorporated some of their pre-Christian customs in the celebrations of Christmas but they still celebrate Jesus Christ birth on Christmas day that they understand but they like to bring in some of their cultural colors and traditions in the days before Christmas day. That's for them but they do not represent the believers of Jesus Christ in other cultures of how they celebrate Christmas or their cultural customs on the days aproching Christmas day. 

And according to bro Tan those customs may be more prevalent in rular areas or in the making of movies but it cannot be with the people living in the cities or high rise buildings. In the movies yes, if not why have a movie of how people celebrate Christmas. I give him an A÷ for saying (if that's what he wanted also to say) that the disciples of Jesus Christ will never celebrate Christmas in this way or endorse those customs as the church customs. In any way it is apparent that those are not the directions from the Bishops but the en mass customs of some people and their cultures. 

Through the time people revisited some of those customs and have redefine them, prune out some of them and gave a new meaning to a lot of things to remind the believers something about our faith in Jesus Christ. 

Edited December 18, 2023 by Your closest friendnt

[TrueFollowerOfChrist]

Absolutely Christmas should be celebrated. The origins of Christmas is completely irrelevant. What matters now is how Christians celebrate Christmas in their heart and reverence Jesus because of it. God judges the thoughts and intents of the heart and Romans makes it clear that we are allowed to celebrate holy days of our own making. I would never judge somebody who chose not to celebrate Christmas, but I can't possibly imagine denying my kids the joy of a Christmas morning or a singing Christmas carols or of watching awesome Christmas movies that have a christ-centered message.

[Bro.Tan]

On 12/17/2023 at 3:33 PM, Your closest friendnt said:

I can't agree with you, because you are talking about the beliefs of the English and Scots and Irish and you forget that the Gospel started from the areas around the minor Asian and spread to Cyprus and Crete and Macedonian are Egypt and Ethiopia and Greece and then Rome and Italy and not yet France and not yet England and the Scots and the Irish and the Islandic people.  

While Europe was full with the Gospel the English and Scott's and Irish at the least some of them were in deep darkness. In a very deep darkness because their religion was like that.

You forget that the Gospel at first was preached to Greeks in manor Asia and to the Jews through out Greece and Manor Asia.  

Thank you for your response and peace in Jesus name

[Bro.Tan]

On 12/17/2023 at 3:31 PM, Vine Abider said:

And all I was saying is apart from Him you can do exactly zilch.  Only His life in you can do it bro (if you let Him) - not you.

A man asked Jesus this very question, "...What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?", and Jesus replied, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. (Matthew 19:16-19). 

[Bro.Tan]

Many fight to uphold man's traditional holidays (Sunday the 1st day as the Sabbath, Christmas, Easter and Halloween), but few are obeying God's Holy Days (Saturday the 7th day Sabbath, the Passover, Pentecost, etc...Leviticus 23:1-44). All of God's laws are still good and must be obeyed if we want eternal life. We might not be able to observe everything perfectly, but can fight a good fight. If we do this our prize awaits us at the end. "...if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matthew 19:17).

[Your closest friendnt]

1 hour ago, Bro.Tan said:

Many fight to uphold man's traditional holidays (Sunday the 1st day as the Sabbath, Christmas, Easter and Halloween), but few are obeying God's Holy Days (Saturday the 7th day Sabbath, the Passover, Pentecost, etc...Leviticus 23:1-44). All of God's laws are still good and must be obeyed if we want eternal life. We might not be able to observe everything perfectly, but can fight a good fight. If we do this our prize awaits us at the end. "...if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matthew 19:17).

This is not what the disciples of Jesus Christ teach. Jesus did not give them this comandment to preach in Jerusalem and Judea and to the ends of the world to keep the commandments. 

The mandate to the disciples was about the good news about Jesus Christ and it was to the people who were keeping the commandments to the people in Jerusalem and Judea. And to the Gentiles who were not keeping the commandments in Leviticus also to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

And to Jews who kept the commandments it was preached that without faith in Jesus Christ they will perish. They will die in their sins. The obedience to the Leviticus will not give them the eternal life with God. Only the obedience in the Gospel of Jesus Christ gives the eternal life, faith in Jesus Christ. 

Edited December 19, 2023 by Your closest friendnt

[Your closest friendnt]

The disciples were not given the mandate to follow and to teach the people to follow the book of Leviticus. That mandate was given to Moses and only for the Israelites.