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| English: child Jesus with the virgin Mary, with the Holy Spirit (represented as a dove) and God the Father, with child john the Baptist and saint Elizabeth on the right (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
When people are getting older an increasing number of people on the gift list already have everything that they really want and need. This tends to make the season more stressful than delightful as the would-be giver struggles to find gifts that are more than just clutter.
In the shops there is enough material which is not worth to be produced, let stand to be sold. Everywhere you can find silly attributes and unnecessary gadgets. The world of consumption has lots to offer, good and bad things, useful and useless things.
The many decorations want people to give a glorious feeling for what they consider should be the happiest and busiest time of the year for millions of Christians and some non-Christians throughout the world. Songs, films, and TV programs promote a jolly and exciting holiday mood — the Christmas spirit.
When the day comes closer people send each other best wishes and call for peace on earth. But at the same time certain Christians keep calling on to the freedom of being able to buy guns and to use them as much as they like them.They want to learn their children how to defend themselves and think a gun or stronger fire arm is the best way to do that.
They do not seem to learn from all the drama's that occurred by people using such weapons to bring a lot of agony, killing many innocent people.
Everywhere in the world they keep fighting and arguing about silly things, and at the same time they proclaim to be lovers of God.
They perhaps better review their looks on God and check if they really appreciate the most precious gift the world received.
Jesus, or the Jew Jeshua, son of Mary/Miriam/Maria and Joseph/Jozef/Josef from the tribe of King David, born on the 17th of October -4 CE, is the person many say they are celebrating his birthday. Here-for they use the 25th of December, the birthday and celebration day of the goddess of light.
Within the Christian Church no such festival as Christmas was ever heard of till the third century, and that not till the fourth century was far advanced did it gain much observance.
It was not God himself or a godly being that became incarnated onto the world. In the Garden of Eden God promised already a solution for the sin of the first man. It took a long time before God found the time right and before there was a man who could totally keep to Gods commandments.
In Jesus we can find a human being who managed, though being tempted more than once (while God can not be tempted), to stay clean and without any sin (god can not sin but Jesus could if he wanted). Jesus loved His Father and knew that what He wanted more than anything else was for us, God His creation, to be reconciled to the Most High of all, the Only One God of gods.
Jesus also was prepared to give his body in the hands of his Father, trusting Him totally. Jesus died really (God is eternal, had no beginning and cannot die) and was taken out of death by his Father (not by himself) as an example to what can happen to all those who are willing to follow Jesus, the son of God, the promised Messiah.
Jesus is the best present of God the world can get.
In the West we do have the darkest days of the season, tomorrow being the shortest day of the year. Dark and cold, it is an ideal time to gather and to sit close to a source of warmth. Perhaps you put some extra lights on to have a nicer feeling. Bringing more time in the warm house it is also very nice to have some good warm meal to strengthen us to come through Winter.
So it is perhaps not a bad time to come together with the family and spend some time together, sharing all sorts of news and wishes for a better future. But do remember that whatever you do it should be in line with what you are believing and where you can stand for.
Question yourself if you can be connected to a heathen celebration or that you keep far away from heathen stories, symbols and activities.
Take time to look at the greatest gift the world received and try to offer that gift also to others.
“9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that ye might walk worthy of the Lord, in all pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12 giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:9-14 KJ21)
Please do read:
- Jesus begotten Son of God #1 Christmas and Christians
- Jesus begotten Son of God #2 Christmas and pagan rites
- Jesus begotten Son of God #3 Messiah or Anointed one
- Jesus begotten Son of God #14 Beloved Preminent Son and Mediator originating in Mary
- Religious Practices around the world
- Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ
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