Cancelling Christmas

     In my February post entitled "A Line in the Sand" I posed the question, "If I am HIS child, if I am HIS servant, why am I the one defining the boundaries?"  It is from this launching point that I write today, though I had not intended to wait so long for my follow-up.  If you have not read that article, please do so before reading this one.  I sincerely want anyone reading this to understand where I am coming from as what I'm about to say could be easily misunderstood.

     As I mentioned, several months ago (though still less than a year), my faith was greatly changed - and deepened - as I was challenged to re-evaluate all of my boundaries and beliefs.  It was one of those times in my life when I felt as if God were "force-feeding" me, in a sense.  He seemed to be saying so much to me through His Word and through sermons, etc., and He seemed to be saying it so quickly, that I could hardly keep up!  Times like that are rare and amazing, but at the same time, they can seem overwhelming as well.  Little did I know then that He was getting ready to turn my world upside down!

     I share this story with you in hopes of connecting with some of you who have experienced or are currently experiencing the same.  I hope my experience and perspective will encourage you in your faith and maybe even take you a little deeper!  I welcome your comments and input.

     I was presented (via sermon) with Deuteronomy, chapter 12.  Here, YHWH (God) is about to take the Israelites into the Promised Land.  He, however, warns them concerning the pagan religions that they will run into when they get there.  He explicitly instructs them to keep His ways and not to try to "repackage" their ways or use their items of worship for Him.  This was the first time that I had been presented with His line in the sand concerning proper worship of Him. 

     It was then that I began to realize... How we worship matters!  Not only that, it isn't up to us!  These, to me, were radical ideas.  I had always believed that my heart, my sincerity, my intention was the ultimate factor in any worship.  Now, I've got a preacher I've never heard of showing me where the Bible says otherwise!!!  Needless to say, that presented a small problem in my faith.  I had to, at that point, (as I mentioned in the previous article) either abide by his boundaries, or create my own.  It was either obedience or rebellion - not both!

Be careful!  Otherwise, your hearts will deceive you and you will turn away to serve other gods and worship them."  Deuteronomy 11:16, ISV

     Why was this such a big deal?  I continued to learn about the origins of many of our modern-day "Christian" ways - pagan origins!  I'll use Christmas as an example.  The tree, the lights, the gifts, Santa and His elves, even the date of Christmas are all pagan in origin.  None of it points to or represents the birth of Christ, as we are taught.  The same can be said for Valentine's Day and even Easter.  I'm not sure how these were all brought into our Christian tradition, so I won't argue that point, but when you see where it comes from, one thing is certain - they are all pagan holidays that have been repackaged ("Christianized") for us. 

     When I try to reconcile that with Deuteronomy 12, I can't.  If they began pagan, then they are unacceptable to YHWH!!!  No matter how sincere I am, no matter how much I love and serve Christ, how I worship/celebrate Him must be done God's way.  Wow.... bombshell.  I don't know any better word for it.

     So, I did what I have heard of others in my situation doing (although I don't know any of them personally).  Yup, I cancelled Christmas.  I don't even know if I did it well, especially when it came to the sensitive issues of the holidays with my family, but I did it.  We celebrated Hanukkah instead.  And I don't think we did that well, either!  Neither I nor my husband had any Hanukkah experience, so we did the best we could.  Then, we skipped Valentine's Day altogether and celebrated Passover, not Easter. 

     How was it?  At the same time wonderful and eye-opening, challenging and awkward.  We intend to continue to learn about and celebrate the biblical holidays, that we've always considered to be Jewish.  As for now, our celebrations are novice at best, but over time, we'll learn.  I'm not sure anyone who knows understand why - and I'm pretty sure they don't like it, but we have to be obedient to God.

     Am I saying that if you celebrate Christmas, Easter, etc. you're not a real Christian?  No, I've been a real Christian for years now, and I celebrated those holidays up until this past December.  And, I'm not saying that this is a salvation issue.  We can only be saved by Christ on the cross.  I have, however, come to see it as a worship issue, and I believe YHWH will continue to bring His people to that same crossroads.  We are all going to have to choose one side of that line or the other.  It is difficult for me to see Christmas trees in churches, believers celebrating Halloween, and many other things that I, over time, have come to view from a different perspective.  I know, however, many sincere believers that do these things, and I do not doubt their commitment to their faith. 

     It is my heart, however, to write about the challenges of faith in hopes of both challenging and encouraging others.  I do believe this to be an issue for modern-day Christians, and I hope you will consider this prayerfully.  There are many resources and ministries through which you can do your own research, but I'm posting here the one that He used to wake me up.  It is long, but it is well worth it, and I encourage you to take the time to watch. 

    

A Thought....

                It seems to be that when we evangelize as Christians today, we are asking other people to take actions that we, ourselves, are fearful of and unwilling to take.  When we speak to non-believers or believers of other religions, we may not always realize the implications of what we are asking them to do.

                We are asking them, firstly, to step back and take an objective look at all they believe, much of which has been handed down to them through generations of loved ones.  Then, from this objective position, we hope to show them which of those beliefs and traditions are unbiblical and/or ungodly.  We are asking them to open themselves up to the offense they may feel when we challenge everything their families have always believed and to allow us to place their most treasured truths under the microscope of biblical Truth.

                Then, if they agree that, indeed, God’s Truth has shown their previously-held beliefs to be false, we are asking them to repent and turn to God and to truly become followers of Yeshua (Jesus).  For many of them, depending on their individual backgrounds, such a change would involve incredibly difficult backlash.  Some faiths would even call for their deaths!  Others may still face rejection from their families – even to the point of being disowned and abandoned.  Regardless of the details, many will have to make changes in their lives that threaten to leave them lonely, misunderstood, rejected, etc.

                Do I believe that this process of evangelism is necessary for bringing a lost world back to God?  Of course!  And I believe that these difficulties that many will face will all one day seem pale in comparison to the glory of God and eternity with Him.

                However, I also find it hypocritical of many of us today to ask such difficult things of others when we are unwilling to face those same difficulties and trials ourselves.  We, as Christians, are accustomed to asking others to step back and listen to what we have to say, but we do not even trust each other enough to do the same!  We have become so defensive of our own beliefs and traditions that we cannot even be so open with our fellow believers!

                How can we ever hope to lead these “others” to Christ when we, ourselves, are unwilling to face the discomfort of a challenged belief system or the personal pain of disapproving family and friends?  We are asking them to walk miles in shoes we ourselves have never worn!  Worse, we are attempting to “lead” them through territory we, ourselves, know nothing of! 

Where will they find the understanding and support they need if, indeed, they do make such radical changes in their lives?  Could they possibly hope to find it in us when we do not, at all, understand? 

                As long as we keep asking the world to “convert” to our ways and beliefs when we ourselves are closed to biblical scrutiny of our own ways, I think we may ask too much!  Not because we shouldn’t want the world to come to salvation, but because we are ill equipped to guide them there!  While we may have Truth on our side, it seems that our love may be lacking a little.

                What then?  Do I suggest that we stop evangelizing altogether?  Far from it!  We are commanded to go and reach the nations with Yeshua’s gospel.  But there was a time, when the church was young, that everyone knew exactly the price that was paid to become His follower.  Everyone had to face the same scrutiny of beliefs and most, if not all, faced the same backlash from loved ones.  During this time (read the Book of Acts), the church grew by leaps and bounds!  Thousands came to Christ at a time, and miracles were commonplace.  Could it have been, partly, because no one was insulated from challenge or persecution?  They walked a hard road, but they walked it together – in unity – as a family.  They had each other, even if they had no one else!  Are we offering such a community to those we are challenging today?  Do they have a soft place to land or a support system of any kind if they make the decisions we are asking them to make?  What do we offer them?

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have wherewith to complete it?  Lest haply, when he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to mock him, saying, “This man began to build, and was not able to finish”.  Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and asketh conditions of peace.  So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”   - Jesus (Luke 14:28-33 ASV)

 

            Christ, Himself, has told us that we cannot be His disciple without renouncing all that we have!  In other scriptures, we are instructed to love Him more than any family member – even our own parents or children!  Have we, ourselves, counted the cost?  Or have we remained so “protected” by our own traditions that we’ve never had to?

                May I submit that, until we are able to lay ourselves open before God and scrutinize our every belief and practice by His Word that we are unqualified to require the same of others?  May I also suggest that this would include the input of our Christian brothers and sisters – especially including those of other denominations with whom we disagree? 

                We should never allow unbiblical doctrine to change our beliefs, but until the Bride of Christ can challenge herself to truly get to the bottom of her beliefs, how can she ask that of others?  Many of us have only heard one perspective.  We’ve been taught why that is right and all others are wrong.  As a result, we have thousands upon thousands of denominations (foundations) in Christianity, but we have not been able to build our tower!  We are rightfully criticized by the world when they speak of our incredible disunity – all in the same religion!  Perhaps, if we open ourselves to biblical truth – even when it disrupts our denominational worlds – we could begin to unify under the proper banner – His!

                However, until we are willing and able to walk the road we present to others, I fear we may always be ineffective in evangelizing and witnessing to a dying world!      

                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                  

 

                                                                                                                                  

 

 

 

A Line in the Sand...

     We all draw lines in our lives.  We all have the freedom and ability to determine what is acceptable to us and what crosses the lines we have drawn.  In order to maintain our boundaries, we must enforce the limits on ourselves and defend them from others.  At times, we defend these limits vehemently, and at times we cross them ourselves!
     But what lines do we draw concerning our faith and why?  Are our limits determined by our own denominations? Our own upbringings?  Our life experiences?  What about our own reason or understanding?
     Whatever the criteria, we must have clearly defined limits of right and wrong - good and evil - if we are to live lives which please God.
     But I have come to realize as of late that these boundaries (and the criteria behind them) are often hindering our walks with God!  In recent months, I have felt the challenge in my life to question many of my boundaries, and many of them have been either drastically redefined or altogether obliterated as I grow in my faith and understanding.  Often these changes have been well outside of my "comfort zone", but what I'm trying to get at goes well beyond mere comfort.
     Ask yourself:
      ...Do I limit my faith and obedience to God?
      ...If so, how and why?
      ...What areas of my life are "off limits" to being changed or challenged?  Finances? Career? Hobbies? Entertainment? Love life? Family and friends? My established beliefs and traditions?  My denomination and its teachings?
     Be brutally honest with yourself.  Then, ask the most important question....

If I am His child, if I am His servant, why am I the one defining the boundaries???

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net 

    What I have learned is this - when God's Word, His Truth, shows us what is right, we have only two choices.  We can be His people - we can obey, change, correct ourselves, whatever it takes.  Or, we can defend our own boundaries - whatever they may be.

     There is an account in the Old Testament where Moses draws a line in the sand and all the people must chose their side - Moses and God or rebellion and self.  What happened to all those who chose wrongly?  The earth opened and swallowed them up!

     If we are sincerely seeking God and His ways, He will show us.  Take it from me when I tell you - His ways are not generally the easiest!  He is, I believe, drawing a line in the sand for us today.  Many of us draw an alternative line as if to say in response, "I will go this far and no further!"  Are we really so foolish as to think God would, then, re-draw His boundaries to include us in our obstinance and rebellion?  Isn't He God?  Who are we???

     I will be sharing with you some of my own stories of God redefining my obedience to Him.  It started with me having to face the questions that I'm presenting to you now.  In order for me to be able to make any of it make sense to you, I have to start here.

     We will all have to choose our side of HIS line - in spite of other factors.  It may be that we do not have the support of friends or family.  It may cost us time or money, and we may have to make hard, uncomfortable changes.  But, if we are not willing to cross these self-imposed boundaries, we will stand, ultimately, in rebellion to Him!

     Please give this heart-felt consideration!  In the mean time, be blessed and enjoy the beautiful day He has made for you!

"Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

- Jesus (Matthew 7:21)

Our First Giveaway!!!

     Check it out!!!  On the right side of the page, you can enter for chances to win our first giveaway!!!  This month (I'm hoping to make this a regular thing) we're giving away a copy of Eric Metaxas' book Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, Spy!  It was the first book review done on this blog!!!  If you've not heard of it, check the previous posts for the review.

     As for the format, I aim to please!  If you are a Kindle or Nook owner and you're willing to give me your e-mail address, I will send it to your device!  Or, if you prefer, I will mail you a hard copy!  Just keep an eye out for the winner announcement - the giveaway ends in one week!

Book Review: Radical

     Radical by David Platt has been on the market for a while now.   I had heard good things about it from others, so I decided to check it out myself.  I have to say that i was not disappointed!  Platt, a pastor in Alabama, takes a serious, objective look at how the American Dream has influenced our faith.  Then he issues a no-holds-barred challenge to all American believers to return to the biblical gospel, leaving comfort, cultural norms, and self-focus behind. 
     It is refreshing to hear any Christian leader urging the faith community to go beyond themselves in pursuit of God and His will, and Pastor Platt does so in a way that is as conversational and inspiring as it is challenging.  The book reads more like a brother calling out to family than a superior railing or criticizing subordinates.  It is obvious that his heart is in his message, and that he himself is pursuing the heart of God. 
    I highly recommend this book to all believers.  We need this challenge in our church culture today, and we need to be asking ourselves the questions this book raises!  

Selected Quotes from Radical:  (I read on a Nook, so page number may not match printed book.)

"This brings us to the crucial question for every professing or potential follower of Jesus:  Do we really believe he is worth abandoning everything for?  Do you and I really believe that Jesus is so good, so satisfying, and so rewarding that we will leave all we have and all we own and all we are in order to find our fullness in him?  Do you and I believe him enough to obey him and follow him wherever he leads, even when the crowds in our culture - and maybe in our churches - turn the other way?

In this book I want to show you that, with the best of intentions, we have actually turned away from Jesus.  We have in many areas blindly and unknowingly embraced values and ideas that are common in our culture but are antithetical to the gospel he taught.  Here we stand amid an American dream dominated by self-advancement, self-esteem, and self-sufficiency, by individualism, materialism, and universalism.  Yet I want to show you our desperate need to revisit the words of Jesus, to listen to them, to believe them, and to obey them.  We need to return with urgency to a biblical gospel, because the cost of not doing so is great for our lives, our families, our churches, and the world around us."  (page 21)

*******

"Fundamentally, the gospel is the revelation of who God is, who we are, and how we can be reconciled to Him.  Yet in the American dream, where self reigns as king (or queen), we have a dangerous tendency to misunderstand, minimize, and even manipulate the gospel in order to accommodate our assumptions and our desires"  (page 25)

*******

"Meanwhile, the biblical gospel says, 'You are an enemy of God, dead in your sin, and in your present state of rebellion, you are not even able to see that you need life, much less to cause yourself to come to life.  Therefore, you are radically dependent on God to do something in your life that you could never do.... In the gospel God reveals the depth of our need for him.  He shows us that there is absolutely nothing we can do to come to him.  We can't manufacture salvation.  We can't program it.  We can't produce it.  We can't even initiate it.  God has to open our eyes, set us free, overcome our evil, and appease his wrath.  He has come to us.  Now we are getting to the beauty of the gospel." (p.28)

Radical Official Webpage:  Here

Radical at Barnes and Noble: Here

Radical at Amazon: Here

Follow and Stay Connected!

This year, I have committed to working more on this blog.  My hope is to build it up both in readership and content!  To begin, I have created both a Facebook and a Twitter account.  You can find the links for both on the right-hand side of the main page!

I'm also looking into other means of building our community, so keep an eye out!  There are even plans underway for a giveaway!!!  If you have any other suggestions, don't hesitate to let me know!

Be blessed!

Article Share - Lost in Translation

Good morning, friends!

Today, I would like to do something a little different.  Instead of writing for you myself to share what I have found, I would like to share the original article with you.

This article, "Lost In Translation:  Rediscovering the Hebrew Roots of Our Faith", by John Klein and Adam Spears, shares details pertaining to the traditional Hebrew wedding and provides many insights concerning our relationship with Christ.  I found it to be very faith-building, as it gave me many details I had not known before.

Take a few moments today to read this passage.  I can guarantee it will speak to you and give you much to think about!

www.watchmanbiblestudy.com/Articles/LostinTranslation.htm