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| The Reason: Righteous decree |
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"And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb." Genesis 30:22
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." Exodus 20:8
"Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land." Leviticus 26:42
"That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God." Numbers 15:40
"Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land." Joshua 1:13
"Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth..." 1 Chronicles 16:12
"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God." Psalm 20:7
"Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness." Psalm 30:4
"I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old." Psalm 77:11
"Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you." 1 Corinthians 11:2
Every year - you can almost set your clock to it - around Christmas time, we happen to come across several types of conversations, all about Christmas. There are those who come to the season, speaking of all the gifts they want, those speaking of gifts they are giving, and those speaking of the money they have to spend. There are those speaking of Santa, and those speaking of the other days of celebration occuring around the time of Christmas.
To those who choose to speak about Christmas, I say one thing - remember that Christmas is about Christ. I have stood bny, year after year, and heard and seen people talk about the pagan origins of Christmas. They talk about the yule logs which my family has never taken a part of EVER), about Christmas trees, about Santa (I am sure you all have heard about the -GASP- letters of Santa and how they "relate" to a certain adversary), about feasting and gift-giving. What tears mne to the core (forgive me) are two things: the commercialization of Christmas, and the demonization of Christmas.
There are talks about gentiles not wanting to give up the celebration of the winter solstice (or the Saturnalia or whatever significant "pagan" day place in the thought and thread of conversation), or the "christianizing" (if that is a word) of a pagan holiday to "bring in the gentiles". This STEAMS me.
Anyone who has EVER experienced God and Christ knows this for what it is - a distraction and a misleading. Yes, there were celebrations involving the time around the beginning of winter (as there were for all seasons), but not of them have Christ as their true center like Christmas. How anyone who has experienced the Holy Spirit could even FIX THEIR LIPS to say Christ was NEVER the reason for the season is beyond me!!!
Christ is the reason for every single moment of our lives - EVERYTHING was made through Him and by Him. Is this not the day that the Lord has made? WIll not Christmas be the day that the Lord has made? Yet, we have people who say we should celebrate the death of our Saviour, and not the life. Huh? Jesus STILL LIVES. How can you honor the death without acknowledging the life? How can you acknowledgethe life without acknowledging He was born? For those who believe in honoring the death, I commend you - but it goes further. The death means nothing without the life, and the life should make us shout because of the birth. If He wasn't born into the earth, our salvation would not be upon us - that is just like if He didn't die the way He did, our salvation would not be upon us.
Aren't you glad He died for us? If not, then get some wisdom and see the love God has for you. I'm not saying don't honor His sacrifice. All I am saying is don't dishonor His sacrifice by making it ONLY about His death. It is the birth, life, death AND resurrection of Christ that I honor on Christmas. And not just that - I honor HIM on Christmas, like I do every day.
Oh, Santa can't get in my way of honoring my Lord and Saviour - I put "Santa" in the proper place. I don't put gift-giving in the way of honoring my Lord and Saviour - I use gifts as ONE WAY of showing I honor Him (by showing my love for others). I don't let people doing it for the wrong reasons get in the way of honoring my Lord and Saviour - and that is on ANY DAY. I get frustrated hearing people talk poorly about Christmas (God help me with that). I get just as tired hearing people trying to call Christmas "pagan" as much as I get tired of people beating down people for trying to show love on Christmas day.
Since when is it a crime to give a gift? To sit down and eat with loved ones? So what some people only give on Christmas - that don't take Christ out of Christmas. So what people only address the needs of others on Christmas (and other holidays) - at least, they address them. We can pray for more, but don't discourage the good. Some people esteem one day above others (like Christmas), while others esteem every day alike. If you are an "every day alike" kind of person, be mindful that your way is not the only way. As long as God is the center, be joyous. And, for those who esteem one day over another - don't get bent out of shape because someone may not have your enthusiasm or zeal on Christmas day - don't be discouraged. As long as God is the center, by joyous. Can't nobody (yes, I went to the improper English) take nothing like that away from you unless they get some type of permission from you.
That's why I can say Jesus is the reason for Christmas without hesitation. In my heart, it is about Him. In my soul, it is about Him. In my spirit, it is about Him. If I don't give a single gift - it is still about Him. And if I give every single person I can think of a gift...it doesn't make it any more about Him than it already was. Jesus, at the last supper with His disciples, took bread and wine, prepared it, and said "this do in remembrance of Me". (1 Corinthians 11:24-25) While some believe this refers to one thing, I know it refers to all things. You see, the bread and the cup is symbolic. As believers, we are the body of Christ. Our goal is to do all things as a memorial of Him - not just His death, and not just His life.
Maybe your Christmas is different. Maybe the world dictates to you what Christmas is all about. The commercialization, Santa, running up horrible and unreasonable debt, the preference of "happy holidays" over "merry Christmas", the attempts to take Christ and any semblance of Him out of Christmas, the shunning of nativity scenes, schools editing long-standing Christmas plays for political correctness, etc. ...is this what Christmas is about?
Now, I am not saying break any laws. What I am saying is Christ is still the reason for Christ. This do in remembrance of Him. Honor your chidlren with gifts. Honor your spouse with love and continued support (don't forget a gift). You don't have to break the bank to do it - just let Christ be the center. Because He is the center, whether you let that benefit you or not. This do in remembrance. Give joyfully, and not grudgingly.
Be blessed. |
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| To add a comment to "The Reason: Righteous decree" |
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| January 03, 2009 |
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| Amen to all of that. Yes He is the reason for the season and each day in which He has made and blesses us with. |
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