This was very interesting to me - I mean - why would someone not participate in activities on a Friday evening? Why would someone not want to celebrate certain holidays, or as she called them holy days? When she said it that way it got me to thinking - holy days? What on earth is holy about Halloween? or Valentines day? but it was Christmas that REALLY got me! She doesn't celebrate CHRISTMAS?!?!? Why not! I mean that is a celebration of the birth of Jesus! Why wouldn't she celebrate that! 'She must be a part of some funny cult religion' I thought to myself and I made it a point to try to get to know her better. The more I spoke with her, the more I learned. She didn't sound like any cult member I had ever heard of! She knew the Bible, she had a living relationship with the Lord, She loves people, and she isn't recruiting into her beliefs - so why the difference? I have to admit I was too chicken to ask her, so I started studying this on my own.... Why would a person who clearly LOVES Jesus, not want to celebrate Christmas.
Through a year or more of research and studying and prayer, here is what I found. You may be a little surprised - I know I was. Below are some excerpts from a pagan website - a website that promotes earth worship-
"As we pagans already know, many of today's Christmas celebrations are rooted in pagan practices. The winter solstice is a time to celebrate the return of the sun following the shortest day in the year. It's no wonder the church adopted these holidays as the birth date of their Savior.
December 25th,because of changes to the Gregorian calendar, is actually the pagan day which celebrates the rebirth of the sun, not the Birth of the Son - Jesus. Jesus was likely born during the Feast of Tabernacles. How do we know this? We know this because the Bible gives us a trail to find this information if we look for it. Zachariah was serving in the temple - he was of a certain family - each family served at a certain time of year - we know when Zachariah was serving. After his service was completed he went home to his wife - conceived John and when the angel told Mary she would give birth to Jesus - Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant. (Scriptures to reference for yourself if you would like to do your own detective work - Luke 1:5,8,23,24,26,36,38)
Now the symbols of mistletoe, holly, pine trees, stockings, santa, and so many other 'traditions' also have their place in the worship of other 'deities'
But from ancient Celtic and Norse mythology we also enjoy such holiday traditions as holly and mistletoe (sacred to the druids), the yule log, and even Santa Claus in his aspects of Father Time, or Father Winter, or the Holly King as part of our Yule History.We have to go back a bit find the pagan legend and myth associated with Santa. One of the first places to start is with the Germanic people and the Norse God Odin. The 13th Century Poetic Edda is a complication of stories and poems from Scandinavian history, some as early 985AD. In this work and from Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda we learn about Odin riding an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir, that can leap great distances. At Yule, Odin leads a great hunting party through the sky in celebration. This story gives rise to comparisons of Santa and his 8 reindeer flying through the sky. In some traditions of Odin's Yule time ride, children could place their boots near the chimney filled with treats for Sleipnir and Odin would reward them for their kindness with food, candy or gifts. The tradition still continues Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. In other Germanic countries the practice has been replaced with hanging stockings.
What about the tradition of giving gifts? Where did this come from?
Ancient pagan deities such as Befana (a gift-giving Roman goddess); the Holly King (a Celtic Winter god); and Thor and Tomte (Norse gods who, respectively, rode across the sky in a chariots drawn by goats and gave presents to children at the end of the year) have all fed into the Santa legend. In many of these early pagan legends, presents are given to children or young families to represent abundance and fertility. After all this is the time of the rebirth of the Sun. Presents were exchanged to honor that rebirth and to give wishes or hopes to the person receiving the gift for abundance and fertility in the coming year. Though many of the stories retold today cannot be verified and are likely just oral stories that were created to entertain children and to further incorporate pagan legends with Christian figures."
I could have inserted quotes from a page of a Christ follower as it would contain the same factual information, but I thought it much more enlightening to link this one from a pagan.
What is the issue with items in our homes which have been offered to the false god's of other religions, it doesn't mean that to me, I am not worshiping a false god! This is not the question - because we are not worshipping idols - we do not believe in those things and 1Corinthians 8 has already settled this question!
The real question is - Should we repurpose items used in the worship of false gods and incorporate them into the worship of God? For me - I firmly believe that no, we should not.
1Peter 2:1-5
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. (emphasis mine)
1 Peter 1: 13-15 So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy."
Much of this has been recent in it's revelation, but we are learning and seeking a new and better way, God's way.
What are some good things we have discovered about this holiday? or Holy Day?
Singing praises, hymns and songs celebrating the birth of the Savior.
Luke 1:46- 55
46 Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
50 He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Luke 2:13-14 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
Rejoicing and worshiping, thankful for God's provision
Luke 2:6-7 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
There is a tree - although it is an olive tree and not a pine tree
Romans 11:17-20But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.
“Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.
But most importantly holding onto Faith and believing God for His promises.
Isaiah 9:6-7
For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!
Matthew 1:23 "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'"
Goodnight,
Amanda
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