The Religious Police vs Kingdom Citizens

     Oh, boy, I'm sure that this post will not win friends or influence people, but I feel it is time to take a stand. So here goes ... I am seeing a growing chasm between Christians; namely those in the camp I will call Reformers and those in the Kingdom camp. And I have to say that the rhetoric from the Reformer camp is getting uglier and more divisive. The articles on one of their more prominent websites, pulpitandpen.org, show me that they have designated themselves as the heresy police of Christianity. They decide who is a "real Christian" and who is not; often using Scripture sporadically, broadly, and frequently out of context. Furthermore, they categorize anyone who is Kingdom-minded as members of the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation).
     I will admit that I do not align myself with the NAR either, as I have discerned many of their adherents seem to be chasing prophetic gifts and titles. However, just because I am not so inclined, it does not mean that I condemn them or give individual pastors and teachers no credibility. I will leave the final judgment of their fruitfulness up to the Lord. As long as I see fruit from a group or movement, I join my husband in deciding to "eat the meat and spit out the bones" -- agree with what I see as fruit-bearing activity, and disregard areas that my spirit challenges. Not so, the Pulpit and Pen crowd.
     Their latest tirade is against Bethel Church and their attempt to resurrect a two-year-old child of one of their members through prayer. Here is some of what they wrote in an article entitled, Bethel 'Dead Raising Team' Fails To Save 2-Year Old:  "Of course, Bethel Church does not have the power to raise the dead. This is not the Apostolic age, and there are no Apostles or prophets (because we have the written word of God, (Hebrews 1:1-2). Some will look at this article and think it is cruel. Compare it to the actions of Jenn Johnson [worship leader and preacher at Bethel], publicly calling for this poor baby girl to be raised from the dead, giving her parents false hope and immeasurable pain instead of being content in 2 Corinthians 5:8, that for this child to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Instead of giving hope in the coming resurrection, they sell false promises. They are wicked, and Jenn Johnson should shut her evil mouth."
     WOW! Is that showing the love of Christ from one Christian to another? Is this the image of Christians that "the Church" wants to show the world? Or do these people more accurately resemble the religious Pharisees of the Bible? To be honest with you, it doesn't surprise me that this condemning language came from this website, one of the most outspoken of the Reformers. They have a history of defaming women who dare to declare themselves representatives of the Lord.
     Another of their articles titled, Are Women-Only Gatherings Biblical? Thoughts from John Bunyan, reads [in part] like this: "Essentially  [Bunyan's] argument is that prayer is – at its heart – doctrinal. Corporate, public prayer should contain doctrine and teach doctrine." The writer of the article [who is also the publisher of Pulpit & Pen] goes on to quote many of John Bunyan's opinions on the subject, but let me give you the condensed version as I surmised it ... Prayer is a serious business with doctrine at its center, and "there's no way to teach doctrine without authority". But look how they define who is entitled to walk in authority: "in a godly church where doctrine is closely checked and the pasture dutifully guarded, the calling of studies or prayer meeting or conferences – and their oversight – belong to the men commissioned for the office of pastor" ... therefore, it should not be led by whom the Holy Spirit calls the “weaker vessel.”
      So, it should not be surprising that Jenn Johnson, being a woman in what they see as an unbiblical position of preacher, should be their latest target. But I have a few things to say about both these articles. First, in regards to Bethel's attempt to resurrect a child who had tragically passed away, our Lord commissioned us to do just that! In Matthew 10:7-8, Jesus tells the Disciples, And as you go, preach this message: ‘Heaven’s kingdom realm is accessible, close enough to touch.’  You must continually bring healing to lepers and to those who are sick, and make it your habit to break off the demonic presence from people, and raise the dead back to life. Freely you have received the power of the kingdom, so freely release it to others.
     Now, I know the Reformers will say those instructions were given only to the Twelve Disciples and not to us. NOWHERE does Scripture say that! That is man-made doctrine called Cessationism. In fact, in what is called The Great Commission in Matthew 28, Jesus tells the Disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 
     Follow this with His declaration in Luke 10:19,  Now you understand that I have imparted to you all my authority to trample over his kingdom. You will trample upon every demon before you and overcome every power Satan possesses. Absolutely nothing will be able to harm you as you walk in this authority. Follow that with John 14:12, which says, Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
     Just connect the dots! Disciples of all nations were to be taught to do what Jesus commanded the Twelve, and raising the dead was specifically commanded. Furthermore, He says that He has imparted ALL His authority and those who believe in Him will do the works that He did. Guess what? Raising the dead was part of the works he did to defeat the devil, along with casting out demons and healing the physically and spiritually sick. So I'm just a little tired of the ugly and slanderous language towards Christians who are seeking to follow not only Jesus's model, but His specific commandments.
    Secondly, the attacks on women as not being qualified to speak for Christ is also not biblically sound. And to quote the writings of a non-biblical source (John Bunyon) as truth is a little hypocritical, don't you think? And the writer/publisher shows his disingenuous intent when he asks at the end of the article, “Why? Why do we feel like women-only gatherings are obligatory or essential to our spiritual growth?” As a woman, I have never stated that I felt women's Bible studies were either obligatory or essential -- anymore than I think men's Bible studies are. As a matter of fact, I'm for any group of people who wish to gather together in search of Scripture's truth. 
     What I find burdensome and troublesome are self-appointed arbiters of what Christianity is supposed to look like. God inspired Scripture as His Holy Word. But when men decide they can re-interpret it according to their man-made doctrine, then differences of opinion are going to arise. Those differences are not inherently heretical. (Think "eat the meat and spit out the bones" -- as long as your spirit discerns there is nothing anti-Christ in the presentation). But Jesus never called for a religion. He commanded us to do what He did. He never said "Adopt this doctrine". And the Bible Study Tools website says "Doctrine is scriptural teaching on theological truths." But whose truths? Jesus's or John Bunyon or Pulpit & Pen or Jenn Johnson? It seems to me that it's important, as a follower of Jesus, to determine whose teachings line up with His. 
     And to call fellow believer's heretics or tell them to shut their evil mouths doesn't line up with Jesus's heart. And I just have to say that in the end, it all comes back to the fruit. Both camps are Saved and love Jesus. But only one camp is going to inherit the Kingdom. In Matthew 7, Jesus warns of pretenders ... Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the realm of heaven’s kingdom. It is only those who persist in doing the will of my heavenly Father. On the day of judgment many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, don’t you remember us? Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we cast out demons and do many miracles for the sake of your name?’ But I will have to say to them, ‘Go away from me, you lawless rebels! I’ve never been joined to you! ... Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation... But everyone who hears my teaching and does not apply it to his life can be compared to a foolish man who built his house on sand..."
     The Kingdom of God on earth is built on the foundation of those who followed Jesus and did what He did, which was the will of the Father. Before we condemn each other for being heretical, perhaps we should see if they are following Jesus's teachings -- not John Bunyon's; not John Calvin's; not Bill Johnson's; not mine, nor any man or woman's personal doctrine. Jesus is the model and we are clearly instructed to follow His teachings! 

Matthew 25:34     "Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." 

A Tree, an Oath and The Everlasting God

     

     As I've explained before, I am once again beginning in Genesis and reading the Bible through to Revelation. Each time I take this journey, I glean more spiritual knowledge of my Creator and Savior. Words and verses jump out at me that I've never taken notice of before, and as I research the history and meanings behind these new treasures, I am always overwhelmed by the glory of God.
     So, this time I found a Biblical jewel in Genesis 21:33. It reads, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. There is so much in this one verse that I'd like to share. First of all, let me set the scene ... Abraham is sojourning in the land of the Philistines, and there arises a quarrel over a well that King Abimelech's servants had seized from Abraham. When Abraham approaches the King about this slight, Abimelech tells Abraham, "God is with you in all that you do" and asks Abraham to swear that they will deal with each other from that day forward with honor and trustworthiness. The Bible records that Abraham gave the king sheep and oxen and set aside seven ewe lambs as a witness that it was he who had dug the disputed well. Then verses 31 and 32 say, Therefore that place was called Beersheba [well of the oath], because there both of them swore an oath. So they made a covenant at Beersheba. 
     Which leads us to verse 33 and the notice that Abraham plants a tamarisk tree. Something so notable is not by accident. He could have planted any number of trees or bushes. Why the tamarisk? Here's what my research showed:  It is an extremely slow-growing tree and has to be cared for in order to do well. To a Bedouin or a Jew, you don’t plant a tamarisk for yourself, you plant it for the generations to come. From this story of Abraham in Genesis, we get the idea that Abraham planted this tree to say, “for generations to come, my family is going to be here”. “This shade is for the generations to come, I’ll never get to use it.” Other significant facts about the tamarisk tree is that it sends its roots down deep and scatters huge numbers of seeds. So Abraham didn't plant the tamarisk tree for his own comfort or use, but rather he was planting the seed for generations to come -- as shelter and protection; not only for his generational line but for all who are of his spiritual seed.
     I want you to connect all the dots that are laid out before us in this verse. From the significance of the tamarisk tree, we see that the place where Abraham plants it also has some meaning. Beersheba, which means "well of the oath" was founded at the site where Abraham and Abimelech made their covenant.[mentioned in Genesis 21]. In biblical terms, a covenant is a mutual agreement confirmed by calling on the name of the Lord.
     But this isn't the only time that this important city appears in biblical history.  Jacob had his dream about a stairway to heaven after leaving Beersheba. (Genesis 28:10–15 and 46:1–7). Beersheba was the territory of the tribes of Simeon and Judah (Joshua 15:28 and 19:2). The sons of the prophet Samuel were judges in Beersheba (I Samuel 8:2). Saul, Israel's first king, built a fort there for his campaign against the Amalekites (I Samuel 14:48 and 15:2–9). The prophet Elijah took refuge in Beersheba when Jezebel ordered him killed (I Kings 19:3). The prophet Amos mentions the city in regard to idolatry (Amos 5:5 and 8:14). Following the Babylonian conquest and subsequent enslavement of many Israelites, the town was abandoned. After the Israelite slaves returned from captivity in Babylon, they resettled the town. According to the Hebrew Bible, Beersheba was the southernmost city of the territories settled by Israelites, hence the expression "from Dan to Beersheba" to describe the whole kingdom. The city has been destroyed and rebuilt many times over the centuries, and today is a thriving metropolis with a population of over 209,000.
     Now I want our dot-connecting to end at this final destination ... Abraham plants the tamarisk tree in Beersheba  and there calls on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.  First, we need to understand that in the Hebrew Bible "to call on the name" of someone indicates a dependency on, and an obedience to that person. You are, in essence, summoning aid from someone who is not only able, but willing, to respond. Here, in Genesis 21:33 Abraham is planting seeds [both physically and metaphorically] for generations to come as he declares an oath to the God whom He depends on; whom he obeys; and whom he trusts will respond. And he tells us that the name of that God is "the Everlasting God" ... El Olam.
     Now you are most likely familiar with the more common names of God: Adonai [Lord, Master]; Yahweh [Lord Jehovah]; El Elyon [the God Most High]; Jehovah Jireh [the God who provides]; Jehovah Rapha [the God who heals]; El Shaddai [the All-Sufficient One]. So, now I would like to introduce you to El Olam [the Everlasting God]. The Hebrew word olam, means "eternity, in the sense of not being limited to the present". But it also means "for ever and ever" or from the most distant past time to the most distant future time. At the heart of El Olam is His continuity, His definiteness, and His unchangeability.
     We get that sense of Him when we consider His pronouncements of an everlasting covenant -- one which is not separated into Old and New, but a covenant with His creation that is represented by that tamarisk tree -- seeds are planted that will benefit generations to come -- where by mutual agreement [through our faith and His promises] we Believers can count on His presence being secured to us every moment of every day. It is continual, definite [undeniable and certain], and unchangeable [permanent, enduring, abiding, lasting, indestructible, irreversible].  He is El Olam and we can trust in Him forever! 

Genesis 17:7   I will confirm My covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

Luke 1:55   Keeping his promises to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

A Charlie Brown Christmas Illuminates God's Truth

     I cannot take credit for the premise of this post. The beautiful interpretation of Charles Schultz's beloved A Charlie Brown Christmas comes from the pen of Jason Soroski, a pastor, writer and musician. He originally wrote a piece in 2015, titled "Just Drop the Blanket: The Moment You Never Noticed in A Charlie Brown Christmas", and a subsequent article entitled, "Drop the Blanket 2: The Rest of Linus's Story". I will include links to them both at the end of this post.
     But the reason I wanted to share this excellent presentation on the days leading up to Christmas is that I love the simplicity of what Charles Schulz was communicating, and how Jason makes it so meaningful. And I have a couple of thoughts of my own to add to the analysis.
     Here's the backstory: As a devoted Christian, Charles Schulz did not shy away from exhibiting his faith through the messages of his comic strips, and A Charlie Brown Christmas was the perfect vehicle to make a statement about the condition of faith within the confines of postmodern religion [which characterizes religious truth as highly individualistic, subjective, and residing within the individual]. A Charlie Brown Christmas was first produced in 1965, a mere three years after the Supreme Court decision that removed prayer from America's public school system. I also believe that the commercialism of Christmas, which Charlie Brown openly laments in the cartoon special, becomes embedded in the American psyche during this time period. 
      Charlie Brown finds himself the director of the school Christmas pageant, but becomes disheartened by his efforts to find significance in the holiday. He finally confides in Linus and shouts, "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" Linus tells him, "Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about" and proceeds to center stage, his security blanket in tow and asks for the lights to be dimmed. As he stands in the spotlight he begins to recite the Christmas story from Luke 2:8-14, the King James version. 
     But as Jason Soroski points out, there comes a climatic moment in Linus's recitation when he drops the blanket! Mind you, the whole cast of Charlie Brown -- from Lucy to Snoopy to Sally to Peppermint Patty -- have tried to wrestle Linus's blanket from him. Why is it so significant that he drops the blanket on his own? It comes at the exact moment he recites the command from the angel of the heavenly host, "Fear not"! Pastor Soroski proposes that this was very intentional on the part of Charles Schulz, and he suggests the following: Charles Schulz was proclaiming the truth of Scripture which says "the birth of Jesus separates us from our fears; the birth of Jesus frees us from the habits we are unable (or unwilling) to break ourselves; and the birth of Jesus allows us to simply drop the false security we have been grasping so tightly, and learn to trust and cling to Him instead." 
     I love this image! And I totally agree! Our only insecurity in this increasingly frightening world is Jesus Christ, our Savior. And this simple testimony from Linus reminds us to seek our safety and freedom [from fear] and our peace in Jesus. This is the message of our Inner Healing Ministry, as well. But as I noticed, and as Jason Soroski points out, as Linus leaves the stage he picks his blanket back up and sticks his thumb in his mouth. Why would he do that?
    This is where my experience in our Inner Healing Ministry comes into play. We are often able to help a Beloved see the spirit of fear [or other tormenting spirits from the Enemy] that has invaded their life, and help them work with Jesus to eradicate it from their life when they declare it must bow to the authority of King Jesus. They walk in this scriptural truth and leave confident in their power and authority to defeat the Enemy's tactics. But just like Linus, who boldly threw aside the false security of that blanket, we pick it up again in a moment of weakness when we believe the old lie from the Enemy that perhaps Jesus has not fully dispelled the spirit of fear; that we have some reason to fear. 

     But Charles Schulz doesn't short-change the truth of Christ. Throughout the Christmas special, much of the focus has been on the scraggly little Christmas tree that Charlie Brown chose as a protest against the commercialization of Christmas. But Schulz changes the focus from the tree to the true [and bigger] focus of Jesus. That little tree, which has spent the entire program bent over and losing its needles, comes to life when Linus declares that "Maybe it just needs a little love". He finally parts with his blanket and lovingly wraps it at the base of the forlorn tree as the gang breaks into the Christmas carol, Hark the herald angels sing, glory to the Newborn King. Suddenly that tree is transformed and ends the show beautifully clothed in splendor. 
     I will tell you that I have witnessed the Risen Christ do the same for many people who see themselves as failures. As they experience their inner healing and hear Him tell them that He loves them, they hear that they are beautiful, worthy, and competent/able to defeat the devil. Just as Linus wrapped that hurting tree in his blanket and adorned it with decorations, I have seen Jesus wrap men and women in royal robes of righteousness and place a crown on their head. They are immediately and divinely transformed into who they were meant to be!
     As Jason Soroski suggests, perhaps Charles Schulz used Linus's gesture of wrapping the blanket at the base of the tree to represent laying down his fear at the foot of the cross. I will tell you that Jesus has shown me, and countless others, that He wants us to lay our hurts and wounds at His feet for Him to take care of. When we see and hear the truth from our Savior who we are meant to be, we surrender our efforts in the flesh, and become joined to Him in the Spirit. We are undefeatable! 
     It has been over 50 years since A Charlie Brown Christmas came into our living rooms as a Christmas TV special. But we need it's simple message more than ever. Like Charlie Brown, I deplore the commercialization of Christmas, and go even further to renounce its pagan roots. But the beloved program's message of our security and freedom in Christ surmounts what the world has done to try to silence the voices of the multitude of the heavenly host as they sang their praises, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." And, thank you, Charlie Brown and Linus for showing us the true meaning of Christmas!

Here are the links to both articles by Jason Soroski: Click here and here. And have a Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:30-32    With my own eyes I have seen Your Word, the Savior You sent into the world. He will be glory for Your people Israel, and the Revelation Light for all people everywhere!

 
    

A Study of Postures in Prayer

     This blog post was initiated by someone who excites me because she is pressing into her newfound relationship with Jesus with enthusiasm and curiosity. Like many of us, Paige has been in the church for most of her life, but that didn't necessarily result in "knowing" her Savior. After receiving Inner Healing, she is on fire to experience Jesus to the fullest. Mark and I get some of our most interesting questions from her, and it makes us take stock of our own intimate knowledge of Him and His Word. So, I'd like to share her most recent question, which led to more research and the topic of this post.
     Paige asked the very good question, "When they say 'bow your heart' in a church service, is that just Christian-ese speak or does it [really] mean something?" First of all, I want to commend her for having the courage to question something she might hear in a sermon, and to have the desire to fully understand it, rather than accept it, just because it was spoken in church. I've always admired anyone who speaks about our Lord [whether they be a pastor, teacher, or fellow Christian] who is not afraid to say, "Don't accept it just because I said it. Do your own research!" And that is exactly what I ask everyone who reads this blog to do, also.
     So, here was my answer to her: "I [personally] don't know of any specific Scripture that tells us to "bow our hearts", but I don't see anything wrong with the description because the attitude of our heart speaks to how we love and honor Christ, and the posture of bowing is a sign of reverence and an expression of worship. So I don't see anything wrong with bowing your heart. Now, religious people would demand a chapter and verse reference instead of seeing the spiritual significance of the phrase. I think it's a good picture of how I want my heart to respond to my Lord".
     I just love questions like this because it leads me on a path to more knowledge. The Institute in Basic Life Principles website has an article entitled, What is the significance of using different postures in prayer? I would like to share with you what I discovered.
     It's important that we understand that the Bible does not require a specific posture when we pray to the Lord, but how we pray and the postures we adopt do speak of our attitude as we are praying. So the website suggested eight postures of prayer, and I'd like us to consider each one and how they speak of our attitudes towards God.
     Lying prostrate before God.  This is the ultimate posture for expressing humility toward our Father in Heaven. When you get on your face before God, you are indicating your unworthiness to be in His Presence. When God made a covenant with Abraham, Abraham recognized his unworthiness before God and “fell on his face” before the Lord. (See Genesis 17:1–22.) You are admitting your need for His mercy. When the leper came to Jesus for healing, he fell on his face and begged for mercy, saying, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean” (Luke 5:12.) And when you know that the Lord is the only way out of a situation in your life, you are ready to admit you need His deliverance and are willing to ask His help. (See Joshua 7:1-9).

     Kneeling before God.  This is perhaps the posture that we Western Christians are most familiar with. When we think about praying, I would venture that most of us grew up being taught to kneel at our bedside in prayer, asking God to protect us. As we matured in our faith, most of us probably began asking for forgiveness in repentance, and sought His mercy. Scripture tells us that kneeling before the Lord is an act of submission to God and the acknowledgment of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. One day every knee will bow before God, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. (See Philippians 2:9–11.) We also kneel before God when we are earnestly appealing for His intervention, as when Elijah knelt in earnest prayer when he asked the Lord to send rain to end Israel’s drought. (See I Kings 18:41–46.)
     Bowing before the Lord. Bowing before the Lord shows an attitude of honor, gratitude, and faith; acknowledging that everything comes from His Hand. It is a sign of reverence and an expression of worship. Just as subjects of an earthly king bow out of respect and gratitude for his rulership, so do we followers of Jesus who bow before our Sovereign King. When God answered the prayer of Abraham’s servant, the man “worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth” (Genesis 24:52).
     Standing before the Lord. I particularly like this posture because to stand before a ruler indicates that you have a legal right to be there. It is only through the righteousness of Jesus Christ that we are able to approach God as His children: “. . . We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:1–2). This posture means that we know who we are in Christ and that we know we stand righteous before God because Jesus has justified us. Then there is Ephesians 6:13-18 where we are told to stand, arrayed in our spiritual armor, and ready to do battle ... and having done all, to stand.... This posture also shows a readiness to serve as we stand before our King in the model of Daniel and his fellow servants of the Lord (Daniel 1:5).
     Sitting before the Lord. In Scripture, when the king or rulers of a city sat in their official places, they were in a position to rule and judge and to have their judgments carried out. We know that Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and we know we are seated with Jesus in the heavenly realms. So this posture speaks of not only Their authority, but ours, in their Name. I am immediately reminded that we are to be the Ecclesia of the Lord; His ruling authority here on the earth. We should be mindful that our role is to occupy seats of rulership on the earth and see that the judgments of Heaven are carried out.
     Looking up to Heaven.  When we look to Heaven in prayer we are seeking the face of God. In the world of social etiquette, looking a person in the face indicates confidence and honesty. It is indicative of an open, trusting relationship. When we adopt this posture in prayer it indicates that we know where our help comes from; that we have confident faith in the One to whom we are praying; and that we have an intimate relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
     Stretching forth the arm. This posture reflects God's sovereign power. The Old Testament is full of examples of men stretching for their arm and releasing the power of God into a situation. I don't know about you, but I think of Moses as he discharged the plagues of God against the Egyptians, and when he stood on a hill overlooking the battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites, holding the rod of God:  “It came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed” (Exodus 17:11). But I also see the sovereignty of God's power in the New Testament when Jesus stretched forth his hand and healed the leper. It was a sign of God's power; His will to heal and deliver; and His blessing upon a life.
     Leaping for joy. I think of King David when I consider this posture of prayer. Here was a man that knew the highs of being a man after God's own heart, and the lows of disappointing the One he loved the most. And the Bible warns that even in the midst of persecution we are to "rejoice and be exceeding glad". In addition, we are told, Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. (Luke 6:22-23).
      Each of these postures is important to our prayer life and I like knowing their significance and what they symbolize. And it is my desire to incorporate them all into my times of worship and communication with the Lord, as the Holy Spirit leads me. And I'm sure that there are other ways to pray before the Lord that I haven't covered here. It will be fun to search the Scriptures and discover more expressions of reverence and supplication. And it's my hope that we would all be like my friend, Paige ... open to seek more of God than we've been comfortable with in the past. He loves to reveal more of Himself and His ways!

Philippians 4:6-7      Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ. 

"As You Go..."

     The Passion Translation of Matthew 10:7-8 has become the framework of how Mark and I live our lives ... And as you go, preach this message: ‘Heaven’s kingdom realm is accessible, close enough to touch.’ You must continually bring healing to lepers and to those who are sick, and make it your habit to break off the demonic presence from people, and raise the dead back to life. Freely you have received the power of the kingdom, so freely release it to others. This was part of the instruction Jesus gave the Twelve Disciples as He sent them out to display the power of God's Kingdom in the earth. It has changed how we approach each day and what we see as our purpose for being created.
     We have been blessed with the opportunity to be self-employed and to find ourselves in a variety of circumstances to walk out these instructions, as we go. This past weekend our path took us to a small Christmas show we had been invited to participate in. It wasn't our normal kind of venue, and there was more than once when we wondered if we were making the right decision from a business standpoint. But we always know that what it looks like in the natural is not always what God has in mind. So we packed up our paintings, hung them on a wall, and waited to see what God's plan was for us. As always, we dedicated ourselves to representing the Kingdom to whomever we came in contact with. And if our bank account prospered from the event, then we would have even more to praise God for.

     As it turned out, we had no success for our business, but we were greatly blessed in the Kingdom realm. We met many fascinating people, which has always been a benefit from our lifestyle and our type of business. And the Lord had much work for us to do, and it had nothing to do with selling paintings. First, we ministered to one of the gallery workers whose husband has been suffering for several years now with degenerative pain in his back. We told her we would like to have the opportunity to lay hands on his back and pray for the release of God's healing power through the Holy Spirit in us. In further talking to her, it was discovered that his father was a Freemason, and he was in possession of his father's Masonic regalia, including his Masonic ring. She was aware of the dubious reputation of Freemasonry, having been warned by a member of her Church, and now we had confirmed her suspicions. She was skeptical that her husband would receive this spiritual diagnosis of his physical condition. But she agreed to receive more information from us and to keep in touch with us about the possibilities of ministering to her husband.
     We also met with a most entertaining and charming woman who just came to support one of her artisan friends at the show. Her outgoing personality and witty humor covered what we knew were deep emotional wounds from her childhood -- some of which she shared as we got closer during the weekend. As it turned out she was a follower of Jesus, so it was easy to speak to her about His will to heal her spiritual pain and set her free. She was receptive of our message and we are hopeful that we will get the opportunity to speak more truth into her. At least we were able to connect through Jesus.
     Not so much with another of our fellow artists. We really enjoyed our time getting to know her, and as she overheard our discussions about our faith, she volunteered that she was Jewish, and we enjoyed hearing about how her family celebrated various Jewish holidays. It soon became clear that we would not be connecting with her through Jesus, as she did not understand any of our questions about what she thought about the Talmud, any of the Lord's Feasts [beyond Passover], and did not know what Messianic Judaism was all about. So we did not push or try to evangelize, we just respected where she was at, while representing our King Jesus.
     Although our weekend may not have been monetarily prosperous, we felt rich after a random conversation with one of the most successful artists at the show. She has always been courteous and the undeclared leader of that art community, with beautiful artwork on display. Until that day, we had never really been able to connect on a personal level. But like I said before, God runs His playbook His way, and we are just obedient to be ready for wherever He wants us to go. This time, our assignment was to just be patient and wait for what He had in store. This gracious artist came to us and we began a conversation, and it was soon apparent what God had in mind. As she shared her testimony of her husband's years as a pilot in the Vietnam war and how God helped her through those sleepless nights, we were able to connect by sharing our recent ministry with veterans of this era's warfare. From that moment, our conversation took on a very spiritual nature. I listened as she shared her pride in the schools her husband has built in Laos; of her grand-daughter's mission trip to Syria in which she led three Muslim men to Christ and then baptized them with water from a plastic bottle, all the while mindful that the Taliban were a constant threat to discover her work; and how this artist's faith and trust in Jesus got her through the loss of her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren in a plane crash in the mountains of Colorado during a freak August snowstorm. She now ministers to those who are grieving the loss of their own loved ones, and speaks of Jesus's healing Presence.
     We sat there for more than 30 minutes, oblivious to anyone around us, and praised the Lord for what He means to us and how He has worked throughout our lives. In the end, God solidified a new relationship and friendship in Him. There is now an unbroken bond that is centered on Christ and transcends the identities the world has given us. 
     These may seem like inconsequential encounters to you, but I promise you that this weekend was not at all about the number of paintings we would sell, but instead was all about telling others about the power of the Kingdom of God in our lives. And it was an example of how it can look to preach the Good News of that Kingdom as we go into the world. We just planted the seeds and we are trusting the Holy Spirit to water them. And we will be ready to respond if that seed grows from good soil. Although the world might judge this weekend as unfruitful, we know otherwise. We have freely received the power of the Kingdom, and we will always eagerly look for the opportunities to freely give it away. Thank you, Lord!

2 Timothy 4:1-2      I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
 
      

The Richness of God's Mercy

     At our Home Church this last week, we were going to dive into Matthew, Chapter 9, and in preparation for the study, I found myself [once again] involved in a treasure hunt in God's Word. I was intrigued with the account [in verses 9-13] of Jesus calling Matthew, the tax collector, to follow Him. Scripture says that as Jesus was eating with Matthew at his house, "many tax collectors and sinners" came and ate with Jesus and His disciples. But when the Pharisees, who were religious, saw this gathering, they questioned why Jesus would eat with such a group of despised people. (Mind you, they are despised by those with religious spirits. Jesus doesn't want anyone to perish, but rather all to come to repentance, as 2 Peter 3:9 tells us).
     I can imagine Jesus sitting there with those people and pouring into them, sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom, which is why He says He was sent (Luke 4:43). And His reply to the Pharisees is what set me on an amazing trip through the Bible ... Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

     Now, this is not the first time that I have read this passage, but this time I was stopped in my tracks. Jesus said to Go and learn what "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice" means.  Now, those who were there with Him, would have understood that this phrase "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice" came from the writings of the prophet Hosea, and also is referenced by the prophet Micah. So it had meaning to those listening at that table. But since I believe that the Bible was inspired to speak to all generations, I clearly saw Jesus's instructions to me not to just read it, but to "go and learn what it means"! It is obvious that it is important that we know what MERCY means, if it is what God told the prophets He desires. 
     So that set me off on a search to learn what MERCY is and why God desires it above sacrifice. There was much to learn, and on different levels. I was not particularly surprised to see that our English translations of the Bible have once again short-changed us. In Hosea, the Hebrew word for "mercy" is chesed, and is probably one of the most important words in Old Testament theology [as it applies to God]. Biblical scholars assign three facets to this word: strength, steadfastness, and love -- and all must be present to represent the fullness of mercy. 
     The word chesed points to one of God's central characteristics: His lovingkindness to His people who need redemption from their sin, their enemies, and their troubles in life. But it also stresses reciprocity -- our strength, steadfastness and love for God and His Kingdom and its people. When we truly walk in chesed, we live a life of sanctification (set apart for God) and in response to His covenant with us. I believe that Jesus was reminding the Pharisees of this important fact: all the sacrifices they performed to remove their sins was not as pleasing to the Father as their mercy (employing the Old Testament understanding of chesed).
     To further add to the richness of this word MERCY, our English Bibles translate Jesus's use of the word here in Matthew from the Greek word, eleos. Here, in Matthew, the word mercy means "the removal of misery from our sins". That's what Jesus was doing with these tax collectors and sinners. And the Gospel of the Kingdom is all about knowing there is no misery in God's Kingdom in Heaven, and that Jesus had come to establish this same rule of government here on earth ... Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. But we must not forget the context in which the hearers received this message. They are Pharisees, religious leaders of the Jews, who well knew the writings of the Old Testament prophets and what that phrase "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice" meant. 
     The prophet Hosea was writing what the Lord spoke to him: "Say to your brothers, "You are my people', and to your sisters, "You have received mercy' ".  Through Hosea, God is calling His people back from their rebellion, disobedience, and unrepentant hearts. In Hosea 6:4-6, God asks:

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
    What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
    like the dew that goes early away.
⁵ Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
    I have slain them by the words of my mouth,
    and my judgment goes forth as the light.
⁶ For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. 

     By reminding the Pharisees to "Go and learn what this means", Jesus is reminding them that since God is merciful to us [and removes the misery of our sins by forgiveness], He desires that we do the same for others. And Jesus is modeling that display of MERCY [for His disciples] by showing what it looks like as He expresses it to the tax collectors and the sinners. 
     But there is another level of meaning that I don't want to just skip over. When Jesus quotes "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice" from the prophet Hosea, I believe we are to understand that by Old Testament standards, sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins was a temporary system and unable to permanently remove the effects of sin. Therefore, recognition of God's mercy (His strength, steadfastness, and love) to deliver Israel from their sins was of more consequence. But for us New Testament believers, we recognize that Christ's sacrifice for us is the ultimate mercy [and display of God's deliverance from our sins] as well as the fact that God still desires reciprocal mercy on our part to see others delivered from the misery of their sins. We now play a part in dispensing God's mercy through Kingdom living. 
     So, as you can see, our English word mercy does not come close to defining the fullness of all that God's mercy exemplifies. It includes His faithfulness, His lovingkindness, His strength, His goodness, His pity in our times of need, and yes, even His reproach [done out of His love for us]. But here is what I've learned by "going" and "learning" as Jesus instructed me .... if our concept of mercy does not include all these facets, it inevitably loses some of its richness. As The Strong's Concordance points out when defining the Hebrew word chesed, "Love, by itself easily becomes sentimentalized or universalized apart from our covenant with God". Jesus intends us to understand that all that God has done for us is wrapped up in that word "Mercy", and because we have benefited from it, we are to extend it to others when sinners express repentance and seek Him. Thank the Lord that His mercies never end and they are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness!

Matthew 5:7    Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Jesus's Gift of the Holy Spirit

    

     At this time of year, we Christians contemplate the gift of the Son of God to mankind. It still blows my mind that God would send a part of Himself to this earth to deliver me from the penalty of eternal death. That precious baby in the manger spent the next 30 years preparing for his short-lived ministry of three years which would change the world forever.
     But even though the Son of God only walked the earth for 33 years, He left us a gift that in many ways was His greatest act for mankind: the gift of the Holy Spirit. Yes, I know that Eternal Life is unquestionably a gift that is beyond compare, and one that will keep on giving for eternity. But note that I said the gift of the Holy Spirit was an act for mankind.  For the time that I am on this earth, the Holy Spirit is my source of power to fulfill my assignment for the Kingdom.
     Yes, we each have a purpose and an assignment. And it surpasses our salvation experience. Have you ever wondered if accepting Jesus as your Savior is the sole intention of God for your life? How many have thought that after coming to that glorious decision, you receive Christ, and then automatically begin a new life filled with a new purpose and a new way to live in this world? Are you disappointed that life still seems the same in so many ways? And how many Christians do you know who still struggle, even though they have heard it preached a dozen times or more that they are "a new creation", but have no evidence of that reality in their lives?
     I think that sometimes we believe that the importance of Jesus is summed up in His life, ministry, death, and resurrection. That seems to be where many in the Body of Christ stop in their understanding of what He has done for them. But I urge you to read John, Chapter 14, because what Jesus has to say to His disciples is just as relevant for us [and perhaps even more so, since I believe the Body of Christ has lost some of the magnitude and importance of His message].
     In this chapter, Jesus is informing the Disciples that He will soon be leaving them to return to His Father in Heaven, stressing the truth that everything He has taught them was not by His own authority, but the Father's, who dwelt in Him. Furthermore the works [miracles] Jesus had done were evidence of the power [and works] of the Father [in Jesus].
     Then Jesus says something that every Christian should rejoice in: "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." Can you comprehend that Jesus is telling us that because we believe in Him as our Savior, we will do the works that He did, and it will be possible for the same reason it was possible for Him -- because the power of the Father is in us [to do His works]? How can that be? We have the ability to do the works of the Father -- the same works Jesus did -- because our Lord tells us that He will send a Helper to be with us forever.
    Let me continue ... Jesus says this Helper is "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." Of course, that Helper is the Holy Spirit, which is the very breath of the Father. So, just like Jesus, we have the power of the Father dwelling in us to do His works. Then Jesus tells them, "I will not leave you as orphans".  And here is where I think that we 21st Century believers run into a stumbling block. I believe we often act like orphans. And here is why ...
     In John 14 Jesus tells the Disciples, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. Whoever does not love Me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me." I will tell you that I am astounded at the number of Christians who do not know the Word; who do not read, let alone study and know their Bible. We act like orphans who don't know we are part of God's Kingdom family even though we are saved, which gives us the right to enter the Kingdom as sons and daughters of the King! (Read John 3:5).
     Have you ever tried to give your theological view to another Christian that, based on your salvation, you are now an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven; stationed here to represent your King's way of living, and have been given an assignment to continue His works on the earth to defeat the works of the devil and reclaim dominion of the earth as God intended in Genesis? Well, I have, and the question I usually get is, "Can you show me where it says that in the Bible"? At that moment, I know they have not read the Word for themselves, nor have they received revelation from the Holy Spirit. And you don't have to be a biblical scholar, having spent years studying the Scriptures. Just read the Book of Matthew and it should open the eyes of your heart to see the truth of the Kingdom and our purpose! I do not put myself forward as someone special or anointed; I am just an obedient follower of Christ who one day woke up with a hunger to know, for myself, what the Bible could reveal to me. And I do not credit my human mind, but the mind and the heart of the Holy Spirit to show me what I could not discern on my own.
     How many of you, like me, sat in churches for years and were never encouraged to read the Word for ourselves or to seek a relationship with the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus calls "the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." Is the Body of Christ willing to be taught? Do they hunger to know and remember all that Jesus has said to us through His Word? Sometimes I wonder. Because the concept of the Kingdom is not that hard to discover if you spend anytime at all with the Holy Spirit in the Bible! And just because I can't give you Chapter and verse that I'm an ambassador of the Kingdom, etc., does not mean that my theological view of the Kingdom and my position and responsibilities to my King (stated above) are not the truth. 
     So, I will state Proverbs 25:2 again, as I have so many times before, It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out. That's Chapter and verse. but are they going to accept that word to mean that it is incumbent upon us to not only read the Word, But how many will seek the counsel and direction from the Holy Spirit to connect the dots in all of Scripture to receive greater revelation than just what we've heard someone else preach or teach? For instance, to even comprehend this verse in Proverbs it means we have to understand that we are "kings and priests" as is written in Revelation 5:10, And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth (KJV).
     In summary, the Lord had three years to spend with the Disciples to teach them all the Father wanted them to know and to do. Knowing that He would be crucified, resurrected, and returning to the Father, Jesus made sure to let His Disciples know that He would not leave them alone; that He would send the Holy Spirit to help them continue God's plan to dwell in them and give them the power to do His works and defeat the devil, whom Jesus called "the ruler of the world" in John 14:30. Nothing has changed. He still sends the Holy Spirit to those who are called His disciples. It's the greatest gift He could give us this side of Eternity. And we have all of our lives to receive this teaching!
     I pray that the Body of Christ will celebrate not only the birth of the Christ child this season, but will seek greater understanding of the Kingdom of God through the Word of our Lord. It is my prayer that all who love Jesus will embrace the gift of the authority and power of God [in us] to grow us in the wisdom and the knowledge of the height, the breadth, the width, the depth and the immeasurable revelation of the Holy Spirit to guide us to seek His Kingdom. It's more than we've thought, folks. Salvation is the entry point into the Kingdom. There is more for us to do in this life! Do not put a limit on your purpose based on your denominational doctrines, religious mindsets, or the fear that you might be deceived. You have an assignment! And if you are seeking the Kingdom, the Holy Spirit will be faithful to reveal it according to the righteous desires of your heart. Trust Him and receive Jesus's gift to faithful men on the earth. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

Acts 1:8     But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
      

Christians: Do You Act Out Of Your Soul Or Your Spirit?

     That's a big question, and I ask it because I'm not sure that Christians understand what it means to know who we are in the Spirit. In fact, I would suggest that most Christians live their lives from their soul, rather than their spirit. Even though we all quote the Scriptures, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12), and [God] has raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6), do we really understand the full implications of those verses? After our salvation, what part of us is seated in Christ in Heaven? Certainly it is not our flesh; we still remain on this earth.
     That leads to another question -- do you know that we are a three-part being -- body, soul, and spirit? And do you understand that our soul and spirit are meant to be separate entities, as Ephesians 2:6 suggests? We all know what our body is -- our flesh, the physical tent that houses our soul and spirit. Our soul is our mind, our [free] will, and our emotions. Our spirit is what identifies us with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are made in their image ... he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. 
     But here's the thing; too often a person's soul refuses to submit to the spirit, and can easily overrun or smother the spirit. And just as common is the scenario that a Christian thinks they are hearing in the spirit, when in reality it is their soul who is running the show. They respond to what they are thinking [in their physical mind] or what they are feeling [in their emotions], and both of those are elements of the soul, NOT the spirit -- and then they proclaim they are living by God's directive to their spirit. But is there fruit in their life that is evidence of this claim?
     Sadly, as the human race has increased in knowledge over the last 2000 years, and as we have experienced new technology and gained new skills, it has resulted in us living from our flesh and our souls, rather than our spirits. In our arrogance, we have come to rely less on our spiritual connection with Christ, and more on our own accomplishments and abilities. We may have grown in our knowledge of things of the world, but we are also more ignorant of the spiritual realm in which our spirits have citizenship -- our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20). This has also resulted in the fact that we don't know how to engage our spirit because we credit what we think or what we feel as a word from our spirit, when in reality it originates in our souls and flesh.
     Here's a concept I'd like to propose to you: God designed our souls to interact with our spirits and our flesh. In other words, consider this: Our souls are designed to receive divine inspiration from our spirit and then birth it into the natural through our flesh -- a heavenly download if you will from Heaven to our spirit. Our soul received the revelation from our spirit, and then we follow through in our flesh. But if we don't know who we are in our spirit, then it's likely that we will be more influenced by own mind and emotions than we are by God's opinions. 
     Remember, Jesus is our model. He said He did nothing that He had not heard or seen from the Father (John 5:19 and 12:49). Can we say the same? When we tell people, "I heard the Lord say" ... or "The Holy Spirit showed me"... is that the real truth? Are we sure? Did those revelations originate in the mind of God, or do they coincide with our own desires? 
     How many of you truly believe you became "a new creation" when you received Christ as your Savior? And what does that look like? I mean, your body stayed the same right? And your soul only begins to change when you use your free will to renew those parts of it called your mind and emotions. That's a growth process. BUT your spirit is reborn immediately as exemplified in Ephesians 4:24: "[the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation]." We are spirit from Spirit, and it is true that we are born with a sin nature; a nature that is unlike the Lord's and separates us from Him. But again, I remind you of 1 Corinthians 6:17, But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. At the moment of your salvation, your spirit becomes one with His; you are a new creation, with a new spirit and a new nature. But do you recognize that truth and receive it?
     And do you understand the bigger truth that your spirit can be in heaven and also interface with your soul and flesh here on earth? Again, Jesus modeled that for us as a human man on earth whose spirit interacted with God in heaven. Like Jesus, we can receive counsel, resources, knowledge and breakthrough in our lives IF we actively engage our spirits to receive God's downloads, spend time in our spirits to understand them, then translate these revelations to our souls [through our renewed minds] and finally walk them out in the flesh. 
     But we need to have a relationship with our own spirit, knowing who we are in Christ, and where we are seated.We must come to the knowledge that we are designed to be spirit beings, having access to the spirit realm in Heaven and the Presence of God and Jesus. We have been made a spirit being, yet having a soul and living in a physical body. As Christians, we must begin to experience the spiritual realm and cooperate with Heaven to see God's Kingdom come and His will be done. We must begin to think like God and act like Jesus and hear/see with the help of the Holy Spirit. Then we can collaborate with Them and bring heaven and earth into agreement through our thoughts and actions. 
     All of Heaven’s resources are available to us through our spirit, which in proper alignment with our soul, prompts our minds to think and act righteously. I know I'm being repetitive, but it is so important that we get this ... Our human spirit will get a download from God [through the Holy Spirit] and then impart the divine thought or concept to our soul [which includes our mind]. The soul has to come together with the spirit in order to be implanted with the seeds of revelation, breakthrough, and those things that have been written upon our scroll in heaven. If our mind has been renewed to think from heaven’s perspective, rather than this world’s, then we will be able to receive the heavenly concept, plan according to God’s ruling principles, act on what has been revealed, and produce fruit for the Kingdom. Our mind/soul and the spirit must work together to give birth to the designs of God in the earth, and our spirit has to take precedence over our soul! 
     So, it is my earnest prayer that the Body of Christ come into a fuller knowledge and relationship with our spirits; that we begin to encounter Jesus through true and authentic spiritual experiences ... spirit to Spirit. Only then will we learn to walk in the path Jesus modeled.

Ecclesiastes 12:7     then the dust [out of which God made man’s body] will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
     

The History Of Christmas Revisited

     This is a re-post of an article I wrote in 2016 on the History of Christmas. Back in 2013, I had begun doing research on where our Christmas traditions came from and was astounded to find so many pagan roots. I will admit that I was angry that the Church had promulgated so many of the false traditions as religious truth. I had to take my confusion to the Lord and let Him help me work through the feeling that I had been deceived and that God's truth had been compromised to promote a false story about what has become a "sacred" holiday to most Christians.
     I will tell you that I became almost religious in my commitment against the holiday for the first couple of years. And I still am pretty disgusted at the commercialization and the exploitation of our faith. I still do not put up a Christmas tree, but I do put up my manger scene and some meaningful artifacts that celebrate the Lord's birth (even though it was not on December 25th, as you will see when you read this blog post). I have been able to reconcile my sentimental memories of childhood Christmases with my adult understanding of how the Enemy has manipulated man through the institution of this holiday, and I am now at peace with where I stand. 
     I can still enjoy all the Christmas movies and the lights and the songs of my childhood, but I don't pretend that they have anything to do with Jesus. I know that I am viewing them all through the lens of my flesh, while my spirit recognizes how my God wishes to be truly celebrated. I don't need to justify myself or my beliefs, and what someone else chooses to do is up to them. And that is a decision you will have to make for yourself as you read and contemplate the following information. I do not condemn anyone for their choices -- you must decide what you will do with this knowledge. And perhaps the best thing is to take it to the Lord, just as I did. Your spirit will recognize His voice, and let Him counsel and comfort you.

A 1783 painting, titled "Saturnalia" by Antoine Callet

     I know I will be accused of being a Scrooge during this Christmas season, but I must tell you that it is encouraging to me that our society and culture are beginning to deal in Truth.  With each passing year, we are accepting that the origins of our Christmas celebrations have less to do with Christ, and more with modern commercialization, ancient rituals and even pagan practices. While most Christians, like me, have no problem with honoring our Lord's birth this time of year, there are a growing number of Believers who recognize that Christmas, as we know it, evolved out of the Roman tradition of Saturnalia, a festival honoring their god of agriculture, Saturn, on the winter solstice.    
     The date of Saturnalia, -- December 25th -- was celebrated as "the birthday of the unconquered sun" and was also a convenient way for Emperor Constantine to combine his pagan Sun god worship  with his newly self-professed Christian faith.  It was also a way for him to exclude the influence of the believing Jews from the new Christian faith, by declaring the day as a Christ Mass. Though we now celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus Christ, we don’t know the exact date, or even the year of his birth. (Many scholars believe that it was in late September or early October, and associate it with the Feast of Tabernacles). And during Saturnalia, children would often be given gifts of wax dolls – an act with a rather macabre history itself; the dolls were used to represent human sacrifices that Rome had given to Saturn in the past as payment for good harvests. Boughs of certain trees and other plant matter were also common gifts during Saturnalia, and were used to represent bounty and good harvests. So, while I like the idea that gift-giving at Christmas time is associated with the gifts of myrrh, frankincense, and gold that were presented to the Christ child by the three Magi, the reality is that the pagan beliefs were the original impetus for gifts.
     Legend has it that stocking stuffing is rooted in the charitable donations of Saint Nicholas, the forerunner to our Santa Claus.  Nicholas believed that childhood should be savored and enjoyed – but in a time where boys and girls younger than 10 had to work to support their families, this wasn’t always possible. So he decided to ease their burden, and gave what he could in homemade food, clothes, and furniture. The bishop even gave out oranges, which would have been very rare and expensive in Lycia, where he lived. The problem became where to leave these gifts so that the children would find them. According to legends, he then saw girls’ stockings hanging above a fireplace, and ol’ Saint Nick (to paraphrase) thought “Why not?”.  From then on, children would hang stockings up hoping that Saint Nicholas would visit them that night.
     But there is another legend that pre-dates the good bishop.  The practice can be traced back to Scandinavian countries that still held their Pagan beliefs. Children would leave their shoes full of carrots, straw, or other similar foods for Odin’s mythic horse, Sleipnir. When Sleipnir ate the food, Odin would leave candy or other treats in their place.
      Then there is the issue of wreaths and Christmas trees. Although many Christians might say these items are separate from belief in Christ, God still has something to say about our festivals.  Jeremiah 10:3-4 says, For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold...  In fact, Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church.  Early Church fathers, Irenaeus and Tertullian, omit it from their lists of feasts, with Tertullian writing, “The pagan Romans clad their door posts with green and branching laurels.  In the Saturnalia, presents come and go. There are gifts and banquets … yet Christians should have no acquaintance with the festivals of the pagans.”  And then there is God, Himself, who says in Amos, Chapter 5, I hate, I despise your feast days...

      And we can't ignore that the evergreen was also known to have represented the same values to a variety of cultures, including the Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. The worship of trees was also very common in European druidism and paganism. In Christian tradition, trees were often put up in December to serve the dual purpose of warding off the devil and allowing a perch for whatever birds still remained. Evergreen trees decorated with apples and wafers were also used in Christmas Eve plays during the Middle Ages to represent the tree from which Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Now, I know that no one will admit that we are worshiping our Christmas trees, here in the 21st Century.  But, if we were honest with ourselves, they have become idols.  True, we do not bow down physically before the Christmas tree, but when you consider that they have become a matter of the heart, and how much emphasis we put on them as a symbol of the time we say we are worshiping Jesus... well, sounds like idolatry to me.
     Then there is the tradition of mistletoe, which has an interesting story.  The Greeks believed that Aeneas, the famous ancestor of the Romans, carried a sprig of mistletoe in the form of the legendary golden bough. In Eddic tradition, mistletoe was the only thing able to kill the god Baldur, since it had not sworn an oath to leave him alone. Among other pre-Christian cultures, mistletoe was believed to carry the male essence, and by extension, romance, fertility, and vitality. The history of its popularity as a kissing agent is unknown.
     These are just some of our most endearing Christmas traditions, and I know that there are many of my fellow Christians who do not feel the same as I do about the holiday.  They will tell me, "Fine, I recognize that some of the origins of our modern Christmas celebration come from pagan rituals. But that's not what it means to me, and God knows my heart.  He knows that Jesus is the reason I celebrate Christmas". While I respect their decision, it's not that easy for me.  Because the worship of false gods and idolatry were intertwined with these rituals and festivals, my spirit has a tough time sharing a celebration of my Savior's birth with any other idol or deity.
     The final factor for me is not what the celebration of the Christmas holiday means to me, but what does it mean to my Father in Heaven?  And I want to interject this thought ... Although there is no instruction in the Bible to celebrate the birth of Christ, I don't think He condemns us for wanting to honor our Lord and Savior. But, I don't think it pleases Him that we can so easily dismiss the connections between the Christmas holiday and its pagan roots.
     How is it any different than the justification the Israelites gave for worshiping the Golden Calf? Read Exodus 32:1-6, and see if there isn't a valid comparison.  Didn't the Israelites set something up for their pleasure, and declared that it was from God? Weren't they worshiping a representation of a pagan deity, and had the arrogance to say “it shall be a feast to the LORD”?  Didn't they celebrate, claiming they were thinking about God as they brought gifts, drank and made merry? Personally, this is what I think we do with the holiday of Christmas.  And I understand how difficult it is to separate our hearts (our flesh) from what pleases God.
     Nobody enjoyed the emotions and sentimentality of the Christmas season more than me! And if I say, BUT GOD KNOWS MY HEART and my heart is focused on Jesus... aren't we then making it about US, and what we want, NOT what God has asked us to do?  Are we offending Him by celebrating our own man-made feast, rather than His appointed Feasts, and then saying it's about Him?
     I know this is a tough subject, and I do not wish it to cause division in the Body of Christ.  It is a decision that must be made by each individual -- how you choose to honor the birth of Christ is something you need to be certain about in your spirit.  But you should be honest and uncompromising; don't let the Enemy convince you with sentimental memories and nostalgia. Don't let him combine man's pagan rituals with the holiness of the Christ child, and persuade you they are one and the same.  And one secular website even proposed this idea: "Christmas is the one time of year where everyone (or nearly so) is friendly, generous and gets along with each other, [so] does it matter the inspiration?"  (To read an article from this perspective, click here). In other words, why doesn't all mankind just ignore whether the inspiration for Christmas comes from the birth of the Christ child or from an assortment of rituals honoring a variety of false and pagan gods, and just all enjoy the merriment and good cheer?  That might be fine for the non-believer or agnostic, but if you are a Christian you must ask yourself this question ... Would God agree?  

Matthew 15:8-9    This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.