The Lord has instructed me to address some matters of the heart that He takes very seriously; starting with holiday celebrations. It's often said that the most popular Christmas customs; including Christmas trees and mistletoe, are new age embodiments of pagan rituals. While it is true that Christmas originated from Pagan revelry, the only reason is because the Pagan's were worshiping the trees that they later brought into their homes and decorated. They were worshiping the trees.
Look at the notorious nativity scene; have you ever noticed that it's depiction is not even biblical? It includes the three wise men; who didn't come to Jesus when he was a baby. The wise men's first appearance in the Bible is in Luke 2 when Jesus is referred to as a child; it doesn't say they were at his birth.
And what about thanksgiving? It's of course known for originating with giving thanks to our father in heaven; with the first official celebration known to be the pilgrims. How do we know for certain that the Pilgrims weren't secretly worshiping Satan with a cornucopia or perhaps even offering up a turkey as a sacrifice?
Look at the notorious nativity scene; have you ever noticed that it's depiction is not even biblical? It includes the three wise men; who didn't come to Jesus when he was a baby. The wise men's first appearance in the Bible is in Luke 2 when Jesus is referred to as a child; it doesn't say they were at his birth.
And what about thanksgiving? It's of course known for originating with giving thanks to our father in heaven; with the first official celebration known to be the pilgrims. How do we know for certain that the Pilgrims weren't secretly worshiping Satan with a cornucopia or perhaps even offering up a turkey as a sacrifice?
Though I don't personally receive it, I respect those who choose not to decorate with or eat certain things, due to their belief system, but do these things matter in the grand scheme of things? If you're worshiping any of these items or traditions, THEN the answer is YES! But if your trust and worship are in the Lord, you can decorate with and eat whatever you want! The Lord is concerned about the motive in your heart, not about whether you have a specific type of tree or eat a particular kind of meat.
The second area I've been asked to shed light on is another fear that's been plaguing believers everywhere; fear of using products that might originate from unjust treatment shops, use questionable logos or don't meet a chosen standard. The Lord wants you to know that just because you indulge in a coffee drink or fountain pop, does not mean you worship the cup it came in or the image on that cup. He wants you to know that just because you purchase clothes from a business whose merchandise is produced in a sweat shop, doesn't mean you support that work ethic. He also wants you to be aware that just because you eat meat that wasn't from a permissible butcher, doesn't mean you worship false idols. Just because someone else, or a group of someone else's worshiped false idols in a particular manner, does not mean YOU do.
The second area I've been asked to shed light on is another fear that's been plaguing believers everywhere; fear of using products that might originate from unjust treatment shops, use questionable logos or don't meet a chosen standard. The Lord wants you to know that just because you indulge in a coffee drink or fountain pop, does not mean you worship the cup it came in or the image on that cup. He wants you to know that just because you purchase clothes from a business whose merchandise is produced in a sweat shop, doesn't mean you support that work ethic. He also wants you to be aware that just because you eat meat that wasn't from a permissible butcher, doesn't mean you worship false idols. Just because someone else, or a group of someone else's worshiped false idols in a particular manner, does not mean YOU do.
None of this is to start any steamy debates, but rather to follow the Lord's instructions to pose this question; when would it all end? If we trace the origin of everything that exists today and we make decisions based on those origins, we might as well strip down naked, live in caves, starve ourselves, and never go anywhere, talk to anyone, or even come out for daylight. Obviously the Lord may actually tell someone to not put up a tree or not to eat a certain kind of meat; if He sees they are worshiping those things, or are in danger of doing so, but you can bet with 100% certainty that it's not because of the tree or meat; it's because of what's going on in your heart.
Jesus died for you to be free from the curse of the law! Just because Pagans did it, doesn't mean you do.
RESOURCES
Dumping Companies Who Support Your Dis-beliefs?
Jesus died for you to be free from the curse of the law! Just because Pagans did it, doesn't mean you do.
RESOURCES
Dumping Companies Who Support Your Dis-beliefs?
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