Thursday, December 29, 2011
My favorite gifts!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Christmas Celebration #1
We had kind of a quiet christmas this year. My in-laws moved to Tennessee this past year and this is our first Christmas without them. They are coming up next week and we will be doing Christmas with them then. Yay.
We stayed home most of the day and then went to my parents house for dinner and gift exchange. It felt really wierd this year. I don't know why but it didn't feel like Christmas for me. I guess I am just getting older and the holiday is changing for me, I dunno. Anyway heres some photos from our day. and will share celebration #2 in a few weeks.
Eveys first Christmas. She was so smiley and happy Christmas morning!
Noni got a race track for Christmas, she loves playing with daddy!
Her first cabbage patch doll, baby Brooke!
Noni with ALL her presents!!
We stayed home most of the day and then went to my parents house for dinner and gift exchange. It felt really wierd this year. I don't know why but it didn't feel like Christmas for me. I guess I am just getting older and the holiday is changing for me, I dunno. Anyway heres some photos from our day. and will share celebration #2 in a few weeks.
Monday, December 26, 2011
"Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?"
So this article is kind of long but if you have some time check it out. It is interesting and really challenges you to think about what we do and why do it when it comes to Christmas. Im still pondering it all and want to read again. Im not trying to push this or anything, you can take it or leave it.
Charles Halff, Director
The Christian Jew Foundation
What a Christian Jew has to say about Christmas...
Up until 25 years ago, I used to celebrate Christmas as much as - or even more than - any Gentile. You might think that is strange since I was born and raised in a Jewish home. But my family always had a Christmas tree every year because it was the popular thing to do. We had ornaments, mistletoe, holly wreaths, presents and everything else that goes along with the Christmas celebration.
You see, Jewish people celebrate Christmas today, not because of Christ's birthday, but because it is popular tradition and part of our present-day culture. It's as American as apple pie and hamburgers. And I observed Christmas for nearly 22 years of my life, until God opened my eyes to see the falseness of this pagan holiday.
It's not because I'm a Jew that I don't celebrate Christmas now. That has nothing to do with it. Let me tell you the real reasons why I no longer observe this pagan holiday.
Christmas Not a Bible Doctrine
In the first place, Christmas is not a Bible Doctrine. If our blessed Lord had wanted us to celebrate His birthday, He would have told us when to celebrate it and how to celebrate it. But Christ never told anyone to celebrate His birthday. Furthermore, we know from the Bible and from church history that the apostles and the early church never celebrated Christ's birthday.
The Bible is God's complete and final revelation to man, and it tells us everything we need to know for our spiritual lives (II Timothy 3:16). We don't have to go outside the Bible for anything. God's Word tells us how we're to worship, how we're to give money for the support of the Lord's work, how to evangelize the lost, how to observe the Lord's Supper and everything else pertaining to the Christian life. But not once in the Bible does God tell us to celebrate Christmas! We're told to remember the Lord's death, but nowhere are we told to celebrate His birth.
God's people are supposed to be Bible people. We are supposed to live by the teaching of the God's holy Word. So the very fact that Christmas is never mentioned in the Bible is sufficient reason for us not to have anything to do with it. But that's not all.
Christ Not born on December 25
The second reason I don't celebrate Christmas is that Christ was not born on December 25th. Notice:
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." Luke 2:8
Don't miss the point: the shepherds WERE IN THE FIELDS taking care of their flocks on the night Jesus was born. As the shepherds were watching their sheep, the message came to them of the birth of Jesus.
It's a well known fact that December falls in the middle of the rainy season in Palestine, and the sheep were kept in the fold at that time of the year. The shepherds always corralled their flocks from October to April. They brought their sheep from the mountainsides and the fields no later than October 15th to protect them from the cold, rainy seasons that followed that date. So the birth of Christ could not have taken place at the end of December.
Secondly, Luke 2:1, 3 tells us that at the time of the birth of Jesus it was decreed that, "all the world would be taxed...And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city." This couldn't have taken place in the winter. Caesar Augustus, the ruler of Rome, would certainly not call for such a taxing in the depth of winter. Travel at this time of the year is extremely difficult; hence, it would be virtually impossible for everyone to comply with the decree if it had been given then. The Lord Himself testified to the rigors of traveling in winter, for He told the people to pray that their flight at the end of this age would not be in winter (Matthew 24:20).
No one knows the exact day when Jesus was born, but in all the probability He was born sometime during the first part of October. We can be reasonably sure of this because His earthly ministry lasted 3 1/2 years, and He was crucified on the 14th day of the month of Nisan, which corresponds to our April (John 19:31, Leviticus 23:5). If we go back 3 1/2 years to the time when Jesus was 30 years old - when He began His public ministry - we come to the month of October. This was probably the month when our blessed Lord was born into the world.
However, let's remember that it's not the date of Jesus' birth that's important. The important thing is that He was born and that He died for our sins. We're not worshipping a helpless infant lying in a manger. We are worshipping a risen and exalted Christ who has all power in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18).
Origin of Christmas
Where do you suppose Christmas originated? Certainly not with God! Christmas started with the sun worshipers in the time of Nimrod, the man who supervised the building of the tower of Babel. And that's another reason why I don't celebrate Christmas.
Thousands of years before Jesus was born, heathens in every country observed December 25th as the birthday of a god who was called the sun-god. Semiramis, the widow of Nimrod, was his mother. She claimed to be the queen of heaven. And she had a son who was supposed to have been born on December 25th; his name was Tammuz.
According to all the heathen religions of that time, Tammuz had a miraculous birth; and for centuries his birthday was celebrated with feasts, revelry and drunken orgies. The heathen celebrated Tammuz' birthday according to the very example he set for them. He was the world's greatest lover of women, strong drink, dirty jokes and other sensual fun. It is said that he loved everybody and that everybody loved him. And it was on December 25th that all the pagan religions celebrated the birthday of Tammuz, the son-god.
This is all clearly brought out in Alexander Hislop's great book, "The Two Babylon's." Any reputable encyclopedia will also verify these facts.
It's plain to see, isn't it, that Christmas is a pagan holiday that came out of old pagan Babylon. As born-again believers, let's have nothing to do with it.
Christmas: A Catholic Holiday
The fourth reason I don't celebrate Christmas is because Christmas is a Catholic holiday. Why should I steal Christmas from the Catholics? They got it from the pagans, and I'm happy to let them keep it.
Notice what Encyclopedia Americana has to say about Christmas and Catholicism.
"Christmas – it was according to many authorities NOT celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian churches as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth. A feast was established in memory of the birth of the Saviour in the FOURTH CENTURY. In the Fifth Century the Western Church (Roman Catholic) ordered it to be celebrated forever on the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol. The holly, mistletoe, the yule log and the wassail bowl are of pre-Christian times. The Christmas tree has been traced back to the Romans. It went from Germany to Great Britain."
Encyclopedia Britannica has this to say about Christmas:
"Christmas (i.e., the Mass of Christ) was not among the earliest festivals of the church."
After Constantine became the Emperor of Rome, he forced all the pagans of his empire to be baptized into the Christian Church. Thus pagans far outnumbered true Christians.
Since the church worshiped the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, when the 25th of December rolled around and the pagans wanted to worship Tammuz, their sun-god, Constantine knew that he would have to do something. So he had the church combine the worship of Tammuz with the birthday of Christ, and a special mass was declared to keep everyone happy. Thus pagan worship was brought into the Christian church and called "Christ-mass."
Every time we say "Merry Christmas," we're actually mixing the precious and holy name of Christ with paganism. This is not right. God says in Ezekiel 20:39, "Pollute ye my holy name no more."
The World and Christmas
That brings me to the next reason why I don't celebrate Christmas. Christmas is of the world, and we're commanded, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." I John 2:15 The very fact that the world which hates Christ and His blood atonement for sin makes more fuss about Christmas than any other holiday proves to me that Christmas is not of God. If December 25th were truly the birthday of the blessed Son of God, the world would have nothing to do with it!
You don't have to be a Christian to celebrate Christmas. Even in non-Christian countries like Japan, Czeckoslovakia, Poland and Russia the people celebrate Christmas.
People throughout the world, who for the most part have no awareness of the Bible or Jesus Christ, eat up the Christmas celebration. To take Christmas from the world would be harder than taking candy from a child.
Let's face it, the world is married to the idol of Christmas. In fact, more people get drunk at Christmas than any other time of the year. There are more big parties and more selfish spending than any other season. Doesn't that prove that it's not of God?
The world loves Christmas, but it hates Christ.
Unscriptural Traditions
Another reason why I don't celebrate Christmas is that it's filled with unscriptural tradition. The exchanging of gifts, the Christmas tree, the singing of carols and Santa Claus are all pagan origin. These all crept into the church during or after the Fourth Century.
There are many unscriptural traditions that have cluttered up the story of the birth of our wonderful Saviour. For instance, many people believe that the wise men of East and the shepherds were together in Bethlehem at the time our Lord was born. But nothing could be further from the truth. The shepherds came to Bethlehem to see Jesus at His birth. The wise men came to Nazareth to see Jesus when He was almost two years old (Matthew 2:16).
Furthermore, the Bible says nothing about three wise men, nor does it say that they were kings. The fact is the Bible does not give their number at all but merely states that they were wise men.
Perhaps the worst part of the Christmas celebration is thousands of parents will teach their children the falsehood of Santa Claus. Children are taught that Santa Claus makes his home at the North Pole, and once each year he fills his sled with toys for the boys and girls who have been good throughout the year. If they are good, he brings them toys on Christmas Eve, and if they are bad, he passes them by.
Is it any wonder that many times when children grow up and learn the truth, they question whether Christ is also a myth?
The Bible says in Colossians 3:9, "Lie not one to another,". We are commanded in Ephesians 4:25 to put "away lying," and to "speak every truth with his neighbor."
Now I know that some of you loving mothers are saying, "Don't you think we should give the children a good time? They don't understand all the paganism behind Christmas."
Let me ask you a question, mother. Is it necessary to drag the holy name of our blessed Lord down to the low level of fleshly gratification and drunkenness to show the kiddies a good time? A thousand times, no! Let's teach our children the truth about Christmas. God's Word says that we should bring up children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Why should we dishonor the name of Christ in such a manner under the pretense of showing the children a good time? There are 364 more days in the year during which we can give gifts to our children.
Merrymaking and Exchanging Gifts
Without question, the most important part of Christmas for most people is buying and exchanging gifts. I don't celebrate Christmas because exchanging gifts has nothing to do with Christ's birthday.
Perhaps some of you are asking, "Didn't the wise men give gifts to Jesus?" They certainly did, but they didn't give them to one another. And their gifts were not birthday gifts because the wise men did not come to visit Jesus until He was nearly two years old (Matthew 2:16). The shepherds came to visit Jesus as His birth, but the wise men came to see Him nearly two years later.
Did you know that giving gifts to a king was common custom in the Far East? That's the reason why the wise men brought gifts to Jesus – because He was born to be King of the Jews. But they were not birthday gifts. So there is no connection between Christmas and the birthday of Jesus in this respect.
One final word before leaving the matter of exchanging gifts. Let me point out that even this is a part of Satan's antichrist program. The greatest Christmas celebration yet to come will be during the awful days of the tribulation. During the antichrist's reign all hell will be loose. The two witnesses who God shall send to the people of the earth will be killed when God is finished with them. Can you guess who will kill them? The antichrist will put them to death. Listen to God's Word:
"And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them." Revelation 11:7
It is under antichrist's reign that the last and greatest Christmas celebration shall take place. As a result of the death of these prophets of God, the world will be so delighted and thrilled that they will exchange gifts with one another. Here is what the Bible says,
"And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in the graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth." Revelation 11:9-10
What further proof do we need that Christmas celebration is not of God? Truly the Lord's people should not celebrate Christmas. It is anti-God, anti-Christ, Satanic, and unscriptural. The call of God is, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate...and touch not the unclean thing." II Corinthians 6:17. God's command to all His people is, "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." Ephesians 5:11
Christmas Condemned by the Puritans
The pagan history of Christmas has been well known throughout history. In fact, at one time the celebration of this pagan custom was forbidden by law in England. In 1644, Parliament declared Christmas to be unlawful; and, consequently, it was abolished. The English Puritans looked upon the celebration of Christmas as the work of Satan
At one time in early American history, the observance of Christmas was illegal. A law was adopted in the general court of Massachusetts about 1650, which required that those who celebrated Christmas were to be punished. The statue read, "Whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas, or in any other way...shall be subject to fine of 5 shillings." The law's preamble explained its purpose was "for preventing disorders...(by) observing such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other countries to the great dishonor of God and the offense of others." After the Mayflower pilgrims landed in 1620, the first December 25th was spent in labor and cutting down trees "in order to avoid any frivolity on the day sometimes called Christmas."
Opposition to the observance of Christmas continued just past the second half of the Nineteenth Century. An article in the December 26, 1855 edition of the New York Daily Times stated,
"The churches of the Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists were not open on December 25 except where some mission schools had a celebration. They do not accept the day as a holy one, but the Episcopalian, Catholic and German churches were all open. Inside they were decked with evergreens."
The Puritans knew the truth about Christmas and regarded it as a pagan holiday. It would be good if all believers followed their example.
What About the Christmas Tree?
Another reason why I don't observe Christmas is because the Christmas tree is condemned by the Bible. Notice: "Learn not the way of the heathen...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 may not move. But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities." Jeremiah 10:2-4, 9
Here you have a perfect description of the Christmas tree, called by God "the way of the heathen." We are commanded not to learn that way or follow it! The Christmas tree is also viewed in this passage as idolatry. The fifth verse says that these tress cannot speak-cannot walk-must be carried. Some people misread this to make it say that there is no harm in having a Christmas tree, but that is not what it says at all. Rather, the Prophet Jeremiah tells us that it is vanity and foolishness and says, "Learn not the way of the heathen."
Some people will be up all night to work on an old dead tree. They'll trim it all up and stand off a little ways and admire their handiwork. Then many of them will sit up all night and look at that old Christmas tree.
I hope some of you preachers will get up in the middle of the night and throw out that old tree out of your house and out of your church right at Satan's head. I realize that some of you will just gnash your teeth and call me "narrow minded." Well, you can call me anything you want, but I'm just giving you the Word of God.
Did you know that the green tree is mentioned 14 times in the Bible, and in every instance it is likened with idolatry? There isn't one place in the Bible where God commends the use of the "green tree" in connection with true worship.
Perhaps you're wondering why people have a Christmas tree during the Christmas celebration. You can search the Bible through and through, but you won't find a reason for it there. The first decorating of any evergreen tree began with the heathen Greeks and their worship of their god Adonis, who allegedly was brought back to life by the serpent Aesculapius after having been slain. And each Christmas multitudes of people will secure an evergreen tree and dress it up with bright glitter, lights and tinsel, not realizing that they are following the tradition of a pagan festival in honor of a false god!
No doubt there are many sincere Christians who think that they are honoring Christ by having their Christmas tree when, in reality, they are dishonoring Him by having anything to do with a heathen festival that God hates.
As you read these lines perhaps you say, "I have my Christmas tree but I don't worship it, and consequently, I see nothing wrong with it." Let me remind you, however, that you don't determine what is right and what is wrong. God determines what's right and wrong. If the Christmas tree is not an idol to you, why are you so reluctant to give it up? What are you doing down on your knees when you place your gifts under it?
Observing Days Forbidden
Finally I don't celebrate Christmas because God's Word forbids the observance of any holy days in this dispensation of grace. Listen:
"Ye observe days, and month, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." Galations 4:10-11
This tells us that the observance of days is a sign of weakness, childishness and lack of development. There are no special holy days for members of the body of Christ. The Lord wants us to worship Him the same 365 days a year.
We're not worshiping a dead Christ or a helpless infant lying in a manger, but we're worshiping a real living Christ who lives all year round.
Sometimes well-meaning people will make the statement, "Let's put the Christ back into Christmas." This sounds very good on the surface...but beloved, how can you put Christ back into something when He was never there?
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the famous English preacher of the last century, said,
"We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas...we find no scriptural word whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Saviour; and consequently, it's observance is a superstition, because (it's) not of divine authority...probably the fact is that the 'holy days' (were) arranged to fit in with the heathen festivals...how absurd to think we could do it in the spirit of the world, with a Jack Frost clown, a deceptive worldly Santa Claus, and a mixed program of sacred truth with fun, deception, and faction."
While the world celebrates Christmas with its gift swapping and wild parties, what should be our attitude? God's Word makes it plain that we should have nothing to do with this pagan holiday. Let's not associate the birth of the holy Son of God with the pagan traditions of men. Let us heed God's command; "Be ye separate, O my people." II Corinthians 6:17
Charles Halff, Director
The Christian Jew Foundation
What a Christian Jew has to say about Christmas...
Up until 25 years ago, I used to celebrate Christmas as much as - or even more than - any Gentile. You might think that is strange since I was born and raised in a Jewish home. But my family always had a Christmas tree every year because it was the popular thing to do. We had ornaments, mistletoe, holly wreaths, presents and everything else that goes along with the Christmas celebration.
You see, Jewish people celebrate Christmas today, not because of Christ's birthday, but because it is popular tradition and part of our present-day culture. It's as American as apple pie and hamburgers. And I observed Christmas for nearly 22 years of my life, until God opened my eyes to see the falseness of this pagan holiday.
It's not because I'm a Jew that I don't celebrate Christmas now. That has nothing to do with it. Let me tell you the real reasons why I no longer observe this pagan holiday.
Christmas Not a Bible Doctrine
In the first place, Christmas is not a Bible Doctrine. If our blessed Lord had wanted us to celebrate His birthday, He would have told us when to celebrate it and how to celebrate it. But Christ never told anyone to celebrate His birthday. Furthermore, we know from the Bible and from church history that the apostles and the early church never celebrated Christ's birthday.
The Bible is God's complete and final revelation to man, and it tells us everything we need to know for our spiritual lives (II Timothy 3:16). We don't have to go outside the Bible for anything. God's Word tells us how we're to worship, how we're to give money for the support of the Lord's work, how to evangelize the lost, how to observe the Lord's Supper and everything else pertaining to the Christian life. But not once in the Bible does God tell us to celebrate Christmas! We're told to remember the Lord's death, but nowhere are we told to celebrate His birth.
God's people are supposed to be Bible people. We are supposed to live by the teaching of the God's holy Word. So the very fact that Christmas is never mentioned in the Bible is sufficient reason for us not to have anything to do with it. But that's not all.
Christ Not born on December 25
The second reason I don't celebrate Christmas is that Christ was not born on December 25th. Notice:
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." Luke 2:8
Don't miss the point: the shepherds WERE IN THE FIELDS taking care of their flocks on the night Jesus was born. As the shepherds were watching their sheep, the message came to them of the birth of Jesus.
It's a well known fact that December falls in the middle of the rainy season in Palestine, and the sheep were kept in the fold at that time of the year. The shepherds always corralled their flocks from October to April. They brought their sheep from the mountainsides and the fields no later than October 15th to protect them from the cold, rainy seasons that followed that date. So the birth of Christ could not have taken place at the end of December.
Secondly, Luke 2:1, 3 tells us that at the time of the birth of Jesus it was decreed that, "all the world would be taxed...And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city." This couldn't have taken place in the winter. Caesar Augustus, the ruler of Rome, would certainly not call for such a taxing in the depth of winter. Travel at this time of the year is extremely difficult; hence, it would be virtually impossible for everyone to comply with the decree if it had been given then. The Lord Himself testified to the rigors of traveling in winter, for He told the people to pray that their flight at the end of this age would not be in winter (Matthew 24:20).
No one knows the exact day when Jesus was born, but in all the probability He was born sometime during the first part of October. We can be reasonably sure of this because His earthly ministry lasted 3 1/2 years, and He was crucified on the 14th day of the month of Nisan, which corresponds to our April (John 19:31, Leviticus 23:5). If we go back 3 1/2 years to the time when Jesus was 30 years old - when He began His public ministry - we come to the month of October. This was probably the month when our blessed Lord was born into the world.
However, let's remember that it's not the date of Jesus' birth that's important. The important thing is that He was born and that He died for our sins. We're not worshipping a helpless infant lying in a manger. We are worshipping a risen and exalted Christ who has all power in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18).
Origin of Christmas
Where do you suppose Christmas originated? Certainly not with God! Christmas started with the sun worshipers in the time of Nimrod, the man who supervised the building of the tower of Babel. And that's another reason why I don't celebrate Christmas.
Thousands of years before Jesus was born, heathens in every country observed December 25th as the birthday of a god who was called the sun-god. Semiramis, the widow of Nimrod, was his mother. She claimed to be the queen of heaven. And she had a son who was supposed to have been born on December 25th; his name was Tammuz.
According to all the heathen religions of that time, Tammuz had a miraculous birth; and for centuries his birthday was celebrated with feasts, revelry and drunken orgies. The heathen celebrated Tammuz' birthday according to the very example he set for them. He was the world's greatest lover of women, strong drink, dirty jokes and other sensual fun. It is said that he loved everybody and that everybody loved him. And it was on December 25th that all the pagan religions celebrated the birthday of Tammuz, the son-god.
This is all clearly brought out in Alexander Hislop's great book, "The Two Babylon's." Any reputable encyclopedia will also verify these facts.
It's plain to see, isn't it, that Christmas is a pagan holiday that came out of old pagan Babylon. As born-again believers, let's have nothing to do with it.
Christmas: A Catholic Holiday
The fourth reason I don't celebrate Christmas is because Christmas is a Catholic holiday. Why should I steal Christmas from the Catholics? They got it from the pagans, and I'm happy to let them keep it.
Notice what Encyclopedia Americana has to say about Christmas and Catholicism.
"Christmas – it was according to many authorities NOT celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian churches as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth. A feast was established in memory of the birth of the Saviour in the FOURTH CENTURY. In the Fifth Century the Western Church (Roman Catholic) ordered it to be celebrated forever on the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol. The holly, mistletoe, the yule log and the wassail bowl are of pre-Christian times. The Christmas tree has been traced back to the Romans. It went from Germany to Great Britain."
Encyclopedia Britannica has this to say about Christmas:
"Christmas (i.e., the Mass of Christ) was not among the earliest festivals of the church."
After Constantine became the Emperor of Rome, he forced all the pagans of his empire to be baptized into the Christian Church. Thus pagans far outnumbered true Christians.
Since the church worshiped the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, when the 25th of December rolled around and the pagans wanted to worship Tammuz, their sun-god, Constantine knew that he would have to do something. So he had the church combine the worship of Tammuz with the birthday of Christ, and a special mass was declared to keep everyone happy. Thus pagan worship was brought into the Christian church and called "Christ-mass."
Every time we say "Merry Christmas," we're actually mixing the precious and holy name of Christ with paganism. This is not right. God says in Ezekiel 20:39, "Pollute ye my holy name no more."
The World and Christmas
That brings me to the next reason why I don't celebrate Christmas. Christmas is of the world, and we're commanded, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." I John 2:15 The very fact that the world which hates Christ and His blood atonement for sin makes more fuss about Christmas than any other holiday proves to me that Christmas is not of God. If December 25th were truly the birthday of the blessed Son of God, the world would have nothing to do with it!
You don't have to be a Christian to celebrate Christmas. Even in non-Christian countries like Japan, Czeckoslovakia, Poland and Russia the people celebrate Christmas.
People throughout the world, who for the most part have no awareness of the Bible or Jesus Christ, eat up the Christmas celebration. To take Christmas from the world would be harder than taking candy from a child.
Let's face it, the world is married to the idol of Christmas. In fact, more people get drunk at Christmas than any other time of the year. There are more big parties and more selfish spending than any other season. Doesn't that prove that it's not of God?
The world loves Christmas, but it hates Christ.
Unscriptural Traditions
Another reason why I don't celebrate Christmas is that it's filled with unscriptural tradition. The exchanging of gifts, the Christmas tree, the singing of carols and Santa Claus are all pagan origin. These all crept into the church during or after the Fourth Century.
There are many unscriptural traditions that have cluttered up the story of the birth of our wonderful Saviour. For instance, many people believe that the wise men of East and the shepherds were together in Bethlehem at the time our Lord was born. But nothing could be further from the truth. The shepherds came to Bethlehem to see Jesus at His birth. The wise men came to Nazareth to see Jesus when He was almost two years old (Matthew 2:16).
Furthermore, the Bible says nothing about three wise men, nor does it say that they were kings. The fact is the Bible does not give their number at all but merely states that they were wise men.
Perhaps the worst part of the Christmas celebration is thousands of parents will teach their children the falsehood of Santa Claus. Children are taught that Santa Claus makes his home at the North Pole, and once each year he fills his sled with toys for the boys and girls who have been good throughout the year. If they are good, he brings them toys on Christmas Eve, and if they are bad, he passes them by.
Is it any wonder that many times when children grow up and learn the truth, they question whether Christ is also a myth?
The Bible says in Colossians 3:9, "Lie not one to another,". We are commanded in Ephesians 4:25 to put "away lying," and to "speak every truth with his neighbor."
Now I know that some of you loving mothers are saying, "Don't you think we should give the children a good time? They don't understand all the paganism behind Christmas."
Let me ask you a question, mother. Is it necessary to drag the holy name of our blessed Lord down to the low level of fleshly gratification and drunkenness to show the kiddies a good time? A thousand times, no! Let's teach our children the truth about Christmas. God's Word says that we should bring up children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Why should we dishonor the name of Christ in such a manner under the pretense of showing the children a good time? There are 364 more days in the year during which we can give gifts to our children.
Merrymaking and Exchanging Gifts
Without question, the most important part of Christmas for most people is buying and exchanging gifts. I don't celebrate Christmas because exchanging gifts has nothing to do with Christ's birthday.
Perhaps some of you are asking, "Didn't the wise men give gifts to Jesus?" They certainly did, but they didn't give them to one another. And their gifts were not birthday gifts because the wise men did not come to visit Jesus until He was nearly two years old (Matthew 2:16). The shepherds came to visit Jesus as His birth, but the wise men came to see Him nearly two years later.
Did you know that giving gifts to a king was common custom in the Far East? That's the reason why the wise men brought gifts to Jesus – because He was born to be King of the Jews. But they were not birthday gifts. So there is no connection between Christmas and the birthday of Jesus in this respect.
One final word before leaving the matter of exchanging gifts. Let me point out that even this is a part of Satan's antichrist program. The greatest Christmas celebration yet to come will be during the awful days of the tribulation. During the antichrist's reign all hell will be loose. The two witnesses who God shall send to the people of the earth will be killed when God is finished with them. Can you guess who will kill them? The antichrist will put them to death. Listen to God's Word:
"And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them." Revelation 11:7
It is under antichrist's reign that the last and greatest Christmas celebration shall take place. As a result of the death of these prophets of God, the world will be so delighted and thrilled that they will exchange gifts with one another. Here is what the Bible says,
"And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in the graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth." Revelation 11:9-10
What further proof do we need that Christmas celebration is not of God? Truly the Lord's people should not celebrate Christmas. It is anti-God, anti-Christ, Satanic, and unscriptural. The call of God is, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate...and touch not the unclean thing." II Corinthians 6:17. God's command to all His people is, "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." Ephesians 5:11
Christmas Condemned by the Puritans
The pagan history of Christmas has been well known throughout history. In fact, at one time the celebration of this pagan custom was forbidden by law in England. In 1644, Parliament declared Christmas to be unlawful; and, consequently, it was abolished. The English Puritans looked upon the celebration of Christmas as the work of Satan
At one time in early American history, the observance of Christmas was illegal. A law was adopted in the general court of Massachusetts about 1650, which required that those who celebrated Christmas were to be punished. The statue read, "Whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas, or in any other way...shall be subject to fine of 5 shillings." The law's preamble explained its purpose was "for preventing disorders...(by) observing such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other countries to the great dishonor of God and the offense of others." After the Mayflower pilgrims landed in 1620, the first December 25th was spent in labor and cutting down trees "in order to avoid any frivolity on the day sometimes called Christmas."
Opposition to the observance of Christmas continued just past the second half of the Nineteenth Century. An article in the December 26, 1855 edition of the New York Daily Times stated,
"The churches of the Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists were not open on December 25 except where some mission schools had a celebration. They do not accept the day as a holy one, but the Episcopalian, Catholic and German churches were all open. Inside they were decked with evergreens."
The Puritans knew the truth about Christmas and regarded it as a pagan holiday. It would be good if all believers followed their example.
What About the Christmas Tree?
Another reason why I don't observe Christmas is because the Christmas tree is condemned by the Bible. Notice: "Learn not the way of the heathen...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 may not move. But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities." Jeremiah 10:2-4, 9
Here you have a perfect description of the Christmas tree, called by God "the way of the heathen." We are commanded not to learn that way or follow it! The Christmas tree is also viewed in this passage as idolatry. The fifth verse says that these tress cannot speak-cannot walk-must be carried. Some people misread this to make it say that there is no harm in having a Christmas tree, but that is not what it says at all. Rather, the Prophet Jeremiah tells us that it is vanity and foolishness and says, "Learn not the way of the heathen."
Some people will be up all night to work on an old dead tree. They'll trim it all up and stand off a little ways and admire their handiwork. Then many of them will sit up all night and look at that old Christmas tree.
I hope some of you preachers will get up in the middle of the night and throw out that old tree out of your house and out of your church right at Satan's head. I realize that some of you will just gnash your teeth and call me "narrow minded." Well, you can call me anything you want, but I'm just giving you the Word of God.
Did you know that the green tree is mentioned 14 times in the Bible, and in every instance it is likened with idolatry? There isn't one place in the Bible where God commends the use of the "green tree" in connection with true worship.
Perhaps you're wondering why people have a Christmas tree during the Christmas celebration. You can search the Bible through and through, but you won't find a reason for it there. The first decorating of any evergreen tree began with the heathen Greeks and their worship of their god Adonis, who allegedly was brought back to life by the serpent Aesculapius after having been slain. And each Christmas multitudes of people will secure an evergreen tree and dress it up with bright glitter, lights and tinsel, not realizing that they are following the tradition of a pagan festival in honor of a false god!
No doubt there are many sincere Christians who think that they are honoring Christ by having their Christmas tree when, in reality, they are dishonoring Him by having anything to do with a heathen festival that God hates.
As you read these lines perhaps you say, "I have my Christmas tree but I don't worship it, and consequently, I see nothing wrong with it." Let me remind you, however, that you don't determine what is right and what is wrong. God determines what's right and wrong. If the Christmas tree is not an idol to you, why are you so reluctant to give it up? What are you doing down on your knees when you place your gifts under it?
Observing Days Forbidden
Finally I don't celebrate Christmas because God's Word forbids the observance of any holy days in this dispensation of grace. Listen:
"Ye observe days, and month, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." Galations 4:10-11
This tells us that the observance of days is a sign of weakness, childishness and lack of development. There are no special holy days for members of the body of Christ. The Lord wants us to worship Him the same 365 days a year.
We're not worshiping a dead Christ or a helpless infant lying in a manger, but we're worshiping a real living Christ who lives all year round.
Sometimes well-meaning people will make the statement, "Let's put the Christ back into Christmas." This sounds very good on the surface...but beloved, how can you put Christ back into something when He was never there?
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the famous English preacher of the last century, said,
"We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas...we find no scriptural word whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Saviour; and consequently, it's observance is a superstition, because (it's) not of divine authority...probably the fact is that the 'holy days' (were) arranged to fit in with the heathen festivals...how absurd to think we could do it in the spirit of the world, with a Jack Frost clown, a deceptive worldly Santa Claus, and a mixed program of sacred truth with fun, deception, and faction."
While the world celebrates Christmas with its gift swapping and wild parties, what should be our attitude? God's Word makes it plain that we should have nothing to do with this pagan holiday. Let's not associate the birth of the holy Son of God with the pagan traditions of men. Let us heed God's command; "Be ye separate, O my people." II Corinthians 6:17
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Holiday tradition-cookies
Making cut out cookies with my cousins has been a tradition since we were little. Now that we have gotten older and have our own kids it doesn't always happen but this year it did. I made a batch of gluten free cookies that turned out really yummy and we helped my mom make hers and my cousin make hers. So fun!!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Its Christmas Time!
We are all decorated here. I started the weekend after Thanksgiving and we got our tree last weekend. Yay. My family is in the tree business so growing up my dad would just bring a tree home. We wouldn't do the whole family outing to go pick a tree, tie it to the car and come home and decorate as a family. And the last two years Peter worked for my dad selling Christmas tree so again he would just bring one home. BUT this year Peter is not working for my dad so we got to be real customers who go and make an event out of picking the perfect tree. It was fun to walk around the fields as a family and say "look at that one" or "what about that one" until we just decide. I am not one of those picky chicks who seriously have to inspect every tree in the field before they can decide. Peter is actually pickier than I am. I would be fine with a charlie brown tree. :) We went with a white pine tree this year. It is supposed to last longer and not drop as many needles. We will see. Decorating the tree with Noni was so fun and I am sure only going to get funner (yes funner) as she gets older. Our family traditions are starting and I just love seeing her enjoy all the special things that come with this holiday!
Friday, December 2, 2011
we found a church
Yup we did. We had been looking around at many local churches after our house church ended and we weren't having much luck. We actually got really discouraged and took a break from church for the summer. It was hard going back to church after attending a house church for 5 years. We kept comparing each church to the house church which really isn't a valid comparison. Church today is nothing like what our house church was. I'm not saying our house church was perfect and I'm not here to preach about church and what it should be, I'm just saying they are different.
Anyway. I don't know what it was that made us go (well God I guess) but we decided in September to go check out Morning Star, an Assembly of God church. It truly was an answer to prayer because until then Peter did not want to go anywhere. The timing was perfect. We enjoyed the service and although it is missing the freedom we desire it has been good for us. Even though it is a mega church we have been noticed as newbys and have already connected with people. We have attended a small group and I go to the moms group when I can.
Noni was going in the nursery and loving it but since baby Evey has come she hasn't wanted to go in, so we will see what happens there. I don't know how long we will be there but for now it is good!! God is good!
Anyway. I don't know what it was that made us go (well God I guess) but we decided in September to go check out Morning Star, an Assembly of God church. It truly was an answer to prayer because until then Peter did not want to go anywhere. The timing was perfect. We enjoyed the service and although it is missing the freedom we desire it has been good for us. Even though it is a mega church we have been noticed as newbys and have already connected with people. We have attended a small group and I go to the moms group when I can.
Noni was going in the nursery and loving it but since baby Evey has come she hasn't wanted to go in, so we will see what happens there. I don't know how long we will be there but for now it is good!! God is good!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
I love holidays!
We had a great turkey day! We slept in, watched the parade, went to my moms for an early dinner/late lunch, ate donuts, (well I didnt, I had gluten free pumpkin roll), Noni shot her first gun, (just a 22 with daddys help) and had a great time catching up with family!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Evey Magnolia's Birth Story
My due date was October 24th and I felt a few contractions that night at 9pm but then they went away. I went to bed and woke up at 3am Tuesday morning with more contractions. They started coming every 10 min and lasting about 25-30 seconds. At 5:30am when Peter got up for work they were still coming. We weren’t sure if Peter should go to work or not but decided he would go and keep his phone with him and I would keep him posted if things progressed. Before he left we quickly set up the aqua doula so it would be ready to go. I laid on the couch for the next few hours until Noni woke up and the contractions were still pretty consistent. I had talked to my midwife Kate at this point and she said to do as much of my daily activity as I can but to rest, eat and drink well. I did some laundry but playing with Noni was really hard to do when all I wanted to do was sleep. My friend Brooke offered to come play with her so I could nap so at about 10:30 she came and picked Noni up and took her to her house for lunch. I slept the whole time they were gone. She brought Noni back around 2:30 for her nap and I rested some more. All day the contractions kept coming but some were 15 min apart some even 30 min apart, but they kept coming. When Peter got home we ate dinner and went for a walk and rested.
We thought maybe Tuesday night would be the night and that things would progress pretty quickly. BUT I woke up Wednesday morning and there was no baby. I guess I slept pretty good because I really don’t remember much from Tuesday night. Peter stayed home with me on Wednesday which was good. He hung out with Noni and served me while I rested. We went to the library (I stayed in the car) and went for many many walks throughout the day and I watched the movie “While you were sleeping.”(missing the parts during my contractions.) The contractions were still random at this point. Then I laid down to take a nap around 1pm and the contractions began to get much stronger and closer together. Peter timed some for me and they were 3-5 min apart and lasting a minute then 25 seconds then a minute. So they were still pretty random. I called Kate and she said to get as much rest as I can and let her know if we start to see a pattern. Kates assistant Jill ended up coming at 4pm to check me because I just wanted to know what was going on and I was 4cm. Yay, I was making progress. When Kate found out I was 4cm she told us to fill the aqua doula so it would be ready, I would could progress pretty quickly. Peter worked on that and we ate dinner and went for another walk. I took a bath and then laid on the couch for the rest of the evening. It was about 8:30pm and I was getting very frustrated and tired. The contractions were sooo strong, I knew something was happening. I asked Peter to call Kate but he was hesitant because there was still no real pattern to my contractions. I had started to feel a little pushy for a few contractions so I really wanted to talk to Kate. He called her and then gave the phone to me after I got through a contraction. I told what I was feeling and she decided it was time for her to come.
So Peter went to put Noni down for bed and I texted my friend/doula Brooke to tell her that Kate was coming and she could come. Her and Jill got here first at about 9:20pm. They started setting things up and Kate got here a few minutes later. She checked me right away and I was 9cm +. YAY, I was ready to go and was so happy! She asked me if I wanted to get in the water or stay in bed and I definitely wanted to get in the water. I got in at about 9:30 and started feeling very pushy. Peter turned on my music and Brooke lit some candles. Kate told me to listen to my body and bare down with each contraction. I got into a more comfortable position on my knees and leaning on the edge of the aqua doula. Peter was rubbing my lower back which felt really good. I wanted Noni to be here when I was pushing so at some point Brooke went and woke her up. She brought her a bag of goodies so they were playing in the other room. I was able to feel my bag of waters before it broke and then with a contraction I felt it break. (That was really cool, b/c with Noni they broke it for me) I was pushing at that point and it was just two or three contractions later I pushed the head out. Jill and Kate had just walked in the room and Kate said “oh head.” Brooke heard me scream and decided to come see what was going on and she walked in just in time. When I pushed the head out I kind of stood up partially and since the head came out of the water I could not go back down in the water. They all were telling me to stand up and I couldn’t so Peter had to grab me and pull me up. So I was standing in the water and with the next contraction I pushed her out. Jill caught her and handed her up to me right away. I stood there holding my baby for a few seconds in complete awe and relief before I looked to see if she was a boy or girl. I announced that she was a girl and Peter announced her name, Evey Magnolia. I then got out and sat on the floor to let the blood pulse through the umbilical cord and birth the placenta. Noni was there and saw the whole thing. She witnessed her baby sister being born and was there to greet her with us. It was amazing and beautiful and I wouldn’t change anything! Evey latched within 10 minutes of being born and nursed great! Oh yea she was born at 10:12pm. She was 8 pounds 3 ounces and perfectly healthy! Praise the Lord!
We thought maybe Tuesday night would be the night and that things would progress pretty quickly. BUT I woke up Wednesday morning and there was no baby. I guess I slept pretty good because I really don’t remember much from Tuesday night. Peter stayed home with me on Wednesday which was good. He hung out with Noni and served me while I rested. We went to the library (I stayed in the car) and went for many many walks throughout the day and I watched the movie “While you were sleeping.”(missing the parts during my contractions.) The contractions were still random at this point. Then I laid down to take a nap around 1pm and the contractions began to get much stronger and closer together. Peter timed some for me and they were 3-5 min apart and lasting a minute then 25 seconds then a minute. So they were still pretty random. I called Kate and she said to get as much rest as I can and let her know if we start to see a pattern. Kates assistant Jill ended up coming at 4pm to check me because I just wanted to know what was going on and I was 4cm. Yay, I was making progress. When Kate found out I was 4cm she told us to fill the aqua doula so it would be ready, I would could progress pretty quickly. Peter worked on that and we ate dinner and went for another walk. I took a bath and then laid on the couch for the rest of the evening. It was about 8:30pm and I was getting very frustrated and tired. The contractions were sooo strong, I knew something was happening. I asked Peter to call Kate but he was hesitant because there was still no real pattern to my contractions. I had started to feel a little pushy for a few contractions so I really wanted to talk to Kate. He called her and then gave the phone to me after I got through a contraction. I told what I was feeling and she decided it was time for her to come.
So Peter went to put Noni down for bed and I texted my friend/doula Brooke to tell her that Kate was coming and she could come. Her and Jill got here first at about 9:20pm. They started setting things up and Kate got here a few minutes later. She checked me right away and I was 9cm +. YAY, I was ready to go and was so happy! She asked me if I wanted to get in the water or stay in bed and I definitely wanted to get in the water. I got in at about 9:30 and started feeling very pushy. Peter turned on my music and Brooke lit some candles. Kate told me to listen to my body and bare down with each contraction. I got into a more comfortable position on my knees and leaning on the edge of the aqua doula. Peter was rubbing my lower back which felt really good. I wanted Noni to be here when I was pushing so at some point Brooke went and woke her up. She brought her a bag of goodies so they were playing in the other room. I was able to feel my bag of waters before it broke and then with a contraction I felt it break. (That was really cool, b/c with Noni they broke it for me) I was pushing at that point and it was just two or three contractions later I pushed the head out. Jill and Kate had just walked in the room and Kate said “oh head.” Brooke heard me scream and decided to come see what was going on and she walked in just in time. When I pushed the head out I kind of stood up partially and since the head came out of the water I could not go back down in the water. They all were telling me to stand up and I couldn’t so Peter had to grab me and pull me up. So I was standing in the water and with the next contraction I pushed her out. Jill caught her and handed her up to me right away. I stood there holding my baby for a few seconds in complete awe and relief before I looked to see if she was a boy or girl. I announced that she was a girl and Peter announced her name, Evey Magnolia. I then got out and sat on the floor to let the blood pulse through the umbilical cord and birth the placenta. Noni was there and saw the whole thing. She witnessed her baby sister being born and was there to greet her with us. It was amazing and beautiful and I wouldn’t change anything! Evey latched within 10 minutes of being born and nursed great! Oh yea she was born at 10:12pm. She was 8 pounds 3 ounces and perfectly healthy! Praise the Lord!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Introducing....Baby Evey!!!!!
Here she is! Our 2nd baby girl! She arrived two days after my due date at 10:12pm. After 42 hours of labor, 6 and 1/2 hours of active labor, and about 5 pushes she was here. She weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces and was 18 and 1/2 inches long and is perfectly healthy!!!
Her big sister is in love and is so gentle with her. I love it!
Heres a few pics from the past week.
Birth Story soon to come!
Her big sister is in love and is so gentle with her. I love it!
Heres a few pics from the past week.
Birth Story soon to come!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
LoVe! LOVE! lOvE!
I love my family pics!! My sis-in-law took some pics for us last weekend and I am so happy with them. (Thanks so much Sar) She took some of me for my first pregnancy also and I just cherish them so much. I will cherish these too as we count down the days of being a family of three. Soon to be family of four. wow!! Im 39 and a half weeks and I honestly feel great. Im ready though! Well enjoy the pics!
Noni was giving us a bit of a hard time but once she actually sat with us Sar snapped away and got a few great pics of the three of us. Yay!
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