Tis the season

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Igzy

I don't need to make "an excuse" to celebrate Christmas because I honestly believe there isn't anything wrong with doing it. I believe at this point in history A LOT more good comes from have Christ in Christmas than would come by taking him out. I think that is what most Christians believe now.

I honestly believe that Christmas is a "shell" or a container, much like all of the feasts, celebrations, and holidays of the Jews. Much of them, like Purim, were traditions that developed over time, and not at all purely "God-ordained." There were Jews, like David, filled with faith and love to God, who celebrated all these occasions with a remembering and worshiping heart. There were also many unbelievers in Israel who celebrated all these occasions only for what they were.

Today much of the hoopla surrounding Christmas in the world is just commercialized vanity. It doesn't even pretend to be worship to God, or remember the birth of Jesus. Yet, in an age of unbelief, children are at least presented with a shell, some of whom one day may receive the reality within. For some, this may be the only opportunity they have to be presented with something of God. The chosen ones may one day question, "what's Christmas all about? or What does the Bible say about it?" What you make of Christmas is up to you.

God knows the value of these memorials in a world blinded by the god of this age. His heart is big, looking for any and all opportunity to call His people home. Who knows how many predestinated ones got saved thru Christmas in atheistic countries under communism.

LC folks, however, condemn all things less than their manufactured standard. For them believing in the cross of Christ is woefully inadequate and called the "low gospel." Their "lofty" standards contain so many frivolous extras to the faith, that all the Brazilian and GLA LC's had to be cut off as "damaged goods." For a system willing to use the pagan Chinese New Year celebration to preach the gospel (one of their official "feasts" btw) to immigrant Chinese, it would be nice if they extended the same liberty to others.