Thoughts About Christmas

For most of the world Santa Claus came and went last week and Christmas is over. Many of us in the church world have spent so much time celebrating, eating, and spending that we have forgotten the true meaning of the Holy Days. Yes, I said Holy Days. 

The denominational world goes to church to mark the glorious event of our savior's birth. However, our people scorn tradition so we throw one big party that lasts from about the first of December until New Year's Eve. So what about Jesus Christ? Perhaps we should reconsider our family first traditions that leave out the reason we celebrate.  

Christmas bells ring out on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning while OUR churches are silent as the grave. Our people are home taking a break from church...leaving worship for the New Year! We cannot leave our families...or God forbid...bring them to church with us while we worship and remember the birth of the King of Kings. 

Perhaps we should rethink this flouting of traditional worship that we think keeps us separate from the world. It does not keep us separate.  The First Century Church kept these days holy and we should do that too.

My message is not that we should stop celebrating with friends and family, but rather that we should include Jesus Christ in the celebration of His birth. It is time we came back to church to honor the Lord on His birthday!

Take a moment to read the essay from Barry Setterfield about the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. It is enlightening and will lay to rest the belief by some people that December 25 is from a Roman holiday. Christmas was celebrated on Dec 25 years before the Romans began their celebrations and we should ask ourselves why. 

http://ldolphin.org/birth.html

 

Praise the Lord, O My Soul!

Psalm 146

1 Praise the LORD. ^[a]
Praise the LORD, O my soul.

2 I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortal men, who cannot save.

4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.

5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,

6 the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free,

8 the LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
the LORD loves the righteous.

9 The LORD watches over the alien
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10 The LORD reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD.

New International Version

No help is greater, no love is deeper. There is none greater than the Lord God Almighty. Life and death is in his hand. Learning to worship and praise the Lord is the greatest knowledge. To the born again child of God it is the beginning of wisdom . Always remember that the spirit of the Lord dwells in the praises of his people.

Do you need comfort? Praise him! Do you need strength? Praise him! Do you need a friend? Praise him! Whatever your need you will find in the praises of the Lord. He comes close to those who know him and draw close to him.

Yes, I Am a Holy Roller!

I grew up in the days when it was an insult to be called a Holy Roller. Most people could not understand what freedom of worship was all about. Today much of the world has embraced the notion of worshiping God in a more visible and active manner but there are those who cannot understand the concept. Having worshiped in this way all my life, I cannot imagine worshiping in any other way.

Psalms 150: 4
4Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

Psalm 100

1Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

The purpose of worship is to magnify and glorify God. There is no other reason for worship. I am a fan of Jesus Christ. I have no problem getting radical about proclaiming my affection and admiration for the King of Kings. America is a country of fans. People plan their lives around the Super Bowl. They plan tailgate parties, they set aside the entire day with special menus, and some of them decorate their bodies in the chosen colors of the team they love. No one thinks this unusual behavior, and they laugh tolerantly while these people have a great time and display the love for their team. This is team spirit and considered a good thing. Well, I have no problem with watching people have a good time and worship the teams and celebrities they adore. However, as I stated earlier in my post, I am a fan of Jesus Christ. I love him and worship him. So the next time you call me a Holy Roller, remember who I am...a child of the King and proud of it!