What is Christmas - really?

[Neighbor]

Most all,  if not all, Christian Days of special celebration of our Lord Jesus are said to be born of pagan holidays.  To what good intent becomes a question.

As for myself; I can celebrate the incarnation of Jesus leading to his two year ministry towards providing salvation for those foreknown and predestined by God to be with them eternally, everyday; but sure enjoy  the calendar events that do highlight what is truth of my salvation everyday.

I do enjoy the celebrations and remembrance of what I consider to be prophetic fulfillments of high holy occasions of Hebrew/Jewish faith. The reveal of Jesus in events celebrated throughout the year every year.

Calendar's themselves shift but the glory that is God  is celebrated nonetheless. Pagan events  not do not negate nor change the blessings of  the holy occasions. 

I have had a pastor that celebrates his own birthday,  and that of our Lord twice every year because his mother denied him that as a child. It is his way  of making up for and healing a hurt. 

Celebrate when you want, as often as you want, in the way that you want- just be aware to be respectful of our Lord and to others who may celebrate in manner different from ones self. All in order to be example of loving God and loving one another.

 

[JohnD]

2 hours ago, kwikphilly said:

Well having been brought up around catholic Italians and being totally screwed up by deception of the rcc is what set me on the path of many years of research so personally I'm very well aware of the history of catholicism .....but my family were not so " religious" in that I was not encouraged to read the Word of God myself- I thank God for my Dad who read Bible Chapters to me every night- thats how I Knew what was being taught was not what is Written.

I grew up in a house of Joy,Laughter and Love- I Loved Jesus from the time I could remember..... I truly don't care about the past,I only care about the future and I'm sure you do too( well,I know you do) so we preach Jesus the Way we are Called and reach people as we are Lead.....

I Rejoice--- I don't care about motives,because there is Power in the Name that is above every name

 

Phil 1:15-18.....God Has a WAY of Using evil for Good...false doctrine lead me straight to Jesus Arms for keeps❤️

But then again I am very Grateful that the Lord Helps me to see the glass half full in many circumstances

Happy Anniversary to you and your beautiful bride....

 

 

 

Thank you, dear Sister.

I am not out to whip up on anyone, but only to share the truth which we are to conform to (I myself included, who is the chiefest of sinners). And it does give me joy and peace and thanksgiving to the LORD when fellowshipping with a believer(s) who see and learn the truth. I did not know the truth for the longest time but have found the keys to the truth in scripture as revealed by the Holy Spirit:

1. (2 Peter 1:20-21) The Holy Spirit alone interprets the scriptures which he wrote through the writing prophets, which is what we are to know first of all.

2. (1 John 4:1 / 1 Thessalonians 5:21) We are to test even the Holy Spirit to be certain he is the one giving us the interpretation and guidance because we humans are so gullible and susceptible to false and misleading spirits and doctrines

3. (Acts 17:11 / 2 Timothy 3:16-17) We test all things by the scriptures themselves. God is not inconsistent and even God abides by the Word:

 Psalm 138:2 (KJV)
2 I will worship toward thy holy temple,

and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness

and for thy truth:

for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

4. (Proverbs 25:2 / Deuteronomy 29:29) Then we will learn the meaning and intent of God's Word and anything hidden from the sight of men and demons

5. (Isaiah 28:9-13) Using this method of interpretation and instruction. I think of the Word of God as precious gems to be mined embedded in the most valuable ore.

I refer to these as the keys to the Kingdom. For it places God the Holy Spirit alone in the seat of interpretation and guidance telling his version of his story. Man (under the heavy influence of the devil and his own evil nature) is so easily misled and gets things wrong with only partial understanding or a piece of this and a snatch of that.

Lastly, I try my best to stay out of God's way. My opinions / understanding are not what truth is about but only Who and what the Truth is: 

Yeshua Jesus.

[nebula]

My purpose for creating this thread has been hijacked.

[kwikphilly]

13 minutes ago, nebula said:

My purpose for creating this thread has been hijacked.

Awww- you're right!

Let us get back on your lovely Topic!

Here's more of my Decorations about the meaning of Christmas!

 

[nebula]

Thank you, @kwikphilly !

These pictures are wonderful!

[Luther]

7 hours ago, Who me said:

On a par with using pagan months, and days of the week.

I think there's supposed to be 13 months in the year, and for some reason we call the first day of the week Monday. Makes you wonder. 

[Luther]

2 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Most all,  if not all, Christian Days of special celebration of our Lord Jesus are said to be born of pagan holidays.  To what good intent becomes a question.

As for myself; I can celebrate the incarnation of Jesus leading to his two year ministry towards providing salvation for those foreknown and predestined by God to be with them eternally, everyday; but sure enjoy  the calendar events that do highlight what is truth of my salvation everyday.

I do enjoy the celebrations and remembrance of what I consider to be prophetic fulfillments of high holy occasions of Hebrew/Jewish faith. The reveal of Jesus in events celebrated throughout the year every year.

Calendar's themselves shift but the glory that is God  is celebrated nonetheless. Pagan events  not do not negate nor change the blessings of  the holy occasions. 

I have had a pastor that celebrates his own birthday,  and that of our Lord twice every year because his mother denied him that as a child. It is his way  of making up for and healing a hurt. 

Celebrate when you want, as often as you want, in the way that you want- just be aware to be respectful of our Lord and to others who may celebrate in manner different from ones self. All in order to be example of loving God and loving one another.

 

Neighbor, I do respect everyone's take on Christmas. It's interesting to see the different viewpoints. But the Question  "what is Christmas really?" In the light of what the Bible teaches is what I'm most interested in, " to be respectful of our Lord", as you say. 

I believe that once a Christian starts to find out the origins and the spiritual implications of it, there " should" be some kind of soul reaction to it . We may like to think...."ahh, please.... Jeremiah 10 doesn't have any bearing on what we do for Christmas", or, " do you really think I care about the pagan roots of Christmas? I'm not setting up my tee to bring back nimrod!".

I personally believe it's a little unsettling that the Jeremiah 10 tree "cut out of the forest" and  "decked with silver and gold" is a warning against idolatry. So why would I want to do something so closely related to that? That's the most disheartening issue with me, as a Christian, going through the age old motions, keeping the roots of the paganism alive in your home. 

To be safe, if anyone is unsure, better to "err on the side of caution":

1 Thessalonians 5:22

Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Also, I'm not Catholic. 

[JohnD]

Sunday (sun day)

Monday (moon day)

Tuesday (Twes day)

Wednesday (Oden's dag)

Thursday (Thors day)

Friday  (Frigg's day Norse goddess)

Saturday (Saturn day)

January (roman god janus)

February (februa, roman purification)

March (roman god mars)

April (aperire, roman meaning to open)

May (greek goddess maia)

June (juno roman goddess)

July (julius caesar)

August (augustus caesar)

September (7th month)

October (8th month)

November (9th month)

December (10th month)

 

[Cyoder]

I have only recently come back to Jesus.  Christmas is not the same this year for me.  I always liked the decorations and lights, giving of gifts.  Seeing how excited little kids get opening gifts.  This year, I'm noticing Jesus isn't a part of this.  I've gone to two different places with "Holiday" lights and decorations.  Both didn't even have one thing dedicated to the Lord.  They had the Grinch, Santa, Rudolph, Jack Frost, Frosty the snowman and even Elsa from the movie Frozen.  Not one single thing about Jesus.  One even had something for Hanukkah.   It really makes me sad.  People are such cowards that they don't want to offend someone with a manger scene.  What do they think the backlash would be exactly?  Most people would either look at it and move on or would actually appreciate it.  Everything on TV is all about buying stuff and Santa.  I even saw a movie preview where a kid misspells Santa on his letter to the north pole and gets visited by Satan instead.  A feel-good Christmas movie about Satan with Jack Black.  That's where we are at right now.

I bought a manger scene for my front yard for the first time ever.  I want the world to know that I love Jesus.  I'm trying to make him a part of my life.

[farouk]

8 minutes ago, Cyoder said:

I have only recently come back to Jesus.  Christmas is not the same this year for me.  I always liked the decorations and lights, giving of gifts.  Seeing how excited little kids get opening gifts.  This year, I'm noticing Jesus isn't a part of this.  I've gone to two different places with "Holiday" lights and decorations.  Both didn't even have one thing dedicated to the Lord.  They had the Grinch, Santa, Rudolph, Jack Frost, Frosty the snowman and even Elsa from the movie Frozen.  Not one single thing about Jesus.  One even had something for Hanukkah.   It really makes me sad.  People are such cowards that they don't want to offend someone with a manger scene.  What do they think the backlash would be exactly?  Most people would either look at it and move on or would actually appreciate it.  Everything on TV is all about buying stuff and Santa.  I even saw a movie preview where a kid misspells Santa on his letter to the north pole and gets visited by Satan instead.  A feel-good Christmas movie about Satan with Jack Black.  That's where we are at right now.

I bought a manger scene for my front yard for the first time ever.  I want the world to know that I love Jesus.  I'm trying to make him a part of my life.

Hi @Cyoder

The Incarnation is truly a wondrous doctrine from God's Word:

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

The carol says:

"Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

Hail the incarnate Deity,

Pleased as man with man to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel."