CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY or FEAST DAYS?

What I truly wish and desire, is that CHRISTIAN’S would UNITE everywhere and determine that the BIRTH of CHRIST would be celebrated at a different time and that the celebration itself would be very different than what we see today.

PERHAPS you two, would consider this as an INVITATION:

For many years, when our children were small, we tried to celebrate Christmas along with many others.

It was a constant battle between seeking to GLORIFY CHRIST, and appeasing other people, including my own children. IT was a heavy burden to carry..

There was a constant taxing effort made to KEEP the FOCUS on JESUS CHRIST..

Yes, we had a tree during those years, making our own ornaments, we did the limited gift giving.  We put in every EFFORT to NOT include SANTA in our praise and worship, seeking to leave out MUSIC or ornaments that brought GLORY to santa’s name.

 We NEVER lied to our children concerning these fantasies of this character.. They knew from the very beginning that santa was not real.

 But in the end, no matter how hard you tried, it seemed that your efforts were more futile than anything else. The WORLD itself was a constant reminder of what this HOLIDAY was truly about.

YET, it didn’t matter what you do, the WORLD continuously goes round and round with these fantasies. And NOTICEABLY it  has gotten worse every year.

The  FOCUS we have SOUGHT to put on CHRISTMAS has turned very SOURER in the minds of heart of the world.

Leading far more people down that trail  of worshiping IDOLS,  MATERIALISM, indebtedness, and bringing GLORY to SANTA than CHRIST.

I do often ask myself, does it make me a scrooge when I find it disgusting to see SANTA and his reindeer's in the yards of so many professing CHRIST?

 OR every time you turn on the radio, you hear all the  HOOPLA about reindeer's,sleighs, snowmen etc.

AND IS it REALLY ok, to SHARE the GLORY OF CHRIST with a fictional character, bringing MORE praise to that FICTIONAL CHARACTER than to CHRIST.

You will truly have to answer that question before the LORD for yourself, for what a man can do with a CLEAR CONSCIENCE is between him and the LORD.

I  do still appreciate the time I have with my family. Many companies make it possible for time to be spent with your family during this time.

 We have a nice dinner, we play games, bond during the time, and seek to help the widow and poor during this time. But we do not get into the MATERIAL giving of this time. And you will not find PRAISE of santa in this household.

I just do not see CHRISTMAS in the TRADITIONAL way it has been presented anymore. We have lost our way through our OWN IMAGINATIONS.

I would like to think that the many that STILL seek to celebrate this time as the BIRTH Of CHRIST are sincere in their PRAISE of HIM and in the SPIRIT of CHRIST.  I would like to believe that those that are CELEBRATED along with the WORLD this “pagan holiday” are still making great efforts to BRING PRAISE and GLORY TO CHRIST.

BUT THAT IS "NOT" what this time of YEAR is about, and YOU can not make it so, just because you DESIRE through your imagination to make it so. IT IS A PAGAN HOLIDAY, and you are seeking to ENTER CHRIST IN as a substitute. HE DESERVES MORE GLORY and HONOR THAN THAT.

HOWEVER!!!!

WHO DO YOU SERVE????  IS HE A RISEN LORD?

I do BELIEVE, that at any time of the YEAR, one should take the opportunity to PROFESS and TESTIFY to CHRIST, and I want to believe the LORD will honor  hearts of worship.

Since I have gained the understanding that it REALLY is a “PAGAN HOLIDAY, with PAGAN ROOTS”, I can no longer find a place in my heart to CELEBRATE it as the BIRTH OF CHRIST.

I find very LITTLE desire to celebrate it as the BIRTH OF CHRIST, but more of an OPPORTUNITY to be SET APART during this time, and CELEBRATE HIM for WHO HE IS NOW, for WHO HE TRULY IS IN MY LIFE.

For I know  in my HEART and MIND that I SERVE a RISEN CHRIST during this time, HE is no LONGER an innocent CHILD that is HELPLESS or SUBJECT to the WORLD’S temptations and trails.

INSTEAD HE is a RISEN KING, with POWER and AUTHORITY.

I would also like to OFFER you an alternative to the PAGAN HOLIDAY

Why not CELEBRATE the FEAST OF THE LORD instead?

I know how important Christmas is to your CHILDREN,  and how difficult it FEELS to strip that away from their little lives.

BUT YOU can give them something NEW and MUCH more PLEASING to LOOK FORWARD TO, and something much more PLEASING in the SIGHT OF THE LORD.

PERHAPS you might seek to SET ASIDE your vacation time NEXT year for the WEEK of the FEAST of TABERNACLES, and make it a special time for your family, and discover a meeting place with LIKE-MINDED people.

These FEAST are WONDERFUL times of the YEAR, that belong to the LORD ONLY.

It is believed by many that CHRIST was born some time during the FALL FEAST.

WE HAVE an AWESOME LORD:

The LORD has not LEFT US in a world where we CAN NOT celebrate and have peace and joy, but HE has given us OPPORTUNITIES to ENJOY things that are STRICTLY of HIM.

A time where the WORLD will not interfere or impose their WORSHIP and PRAISE upon us, and a time when JESUS CHRIST does not have to SHARE HIS PRAISE.

I say this as an INVITATION, not as a command. For if you do not find WORSHIP in them, then you will not find the BEAUTY of them.

PERHAPS you might find interest in STUDYING the FEAST for yourself, and consider being a participate of them, as your next celebration.

May the LORD BLESS YOU ALWAYS as you consider YOUR PRAISE of HIM THIS YEAR.

JUST AN IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE:  

PLEASE BE CAREFUL and DISCERNING WHO YOU ASSEMBLE YOURSELF WITH IN THESE MATTERS. BE CERTAIN that it is NEW COVENANT BELIEVERS that you assemble yourself with and not the RELIGIOUS SEC that seeks to burden you down with LAWS and RELIGIOUS ACTS.

THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY to the FATHER and that IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.

I would also like to recommend that you go to TED MONTGOMERY'S site for more information on the subject of CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY and the FEAST DAYS of the LORD.

LINK:  http://www.tedmontgomery.com/remarks.html