Christmas

 Hi Everyone!

If you’re like me, you have been listening to Christmas music since October, Especially the Elvis Christmas album. However, as much as I like all the presents, candy, music, eggnog, and movies, there is a reality that we have lost touch with the purpose of Christmas, which includes what Jesus set out to do. This becomes apparent when we have so many unGodly behaviors being enabled by the body of Christ. So let’s look at what Jesus came to do and how the body of Christ is supposed to look and behave and start there.

Jesus did come to earth as a baby to give us something, not wealth, but a sword of division called the Gospel. The believers would unite over it, people have and will give their lives for it, and it is the only true solution to the world’s problems. This sword is a spiritual sword. No killing of people is allowed. In fact, we are obligated to lay down our lives for Christ’s glory.

The Gospel is simple: Christ the Messiah, God’s eternal king of all creation, is known as the Son of God, and the third person of the only Living God, the Triune God. I lived as a person who lived a perfect life with no sin fulfilling all the messianic prophesies to die as the perfect sacrifice on the cross. The only acceptable payment for the sin of all of humanity, ressurected on the third day, conquering sin and death so that all who would choose to accept him, their sin will be forgiven so that people of every tribe of the earth could obtain the Spirit of God as they turn from their sins and choose the payment Christ made for their sin and in doing so ensuring their place in heaven due to their newfound relationship with God only available through salvation. Living out a life that presents the Love of Jesus to the world while sharing the Gospel with people at whatever risk may ensue. This base concept is what we are supposed to be celebrating on Christmas.

The real question is, how can we live like Jesus if we don’t know some of the basic standards given to the early church to reflect a life like Christ? The answer is that we can’t. It also means we can’t celebrate Christmas in a proper fashion. So let’s look at some standards for the Body of Christ.

Standards of leadership:

Husband to one wife

Not given to drunkenness

Not a lover of money

Full of the Holy Spirit

Of good reputation (reputation was the word martus, so a reputation of death for the Gospel)

Teacher of sound doctrine per the belief of the apostle’s teachings

Teaching the body to do the Ministry

 

 

Standards for the body:

No sex outside of your marital covenant of one man to one woman.

Following the apostle’s teachings: repentance of sin, Love God and others, generosity (exceeds 10%), prayer, evangelism, baptizing others, discipleship, Breaking of bread (Communion)

Do not argue until you are red in the face.

Show hospitality

These are just a few examples. They are just enough to show us that, as a culture, we have gone slightly astray from what the word of God mandates for us, with no exception. I could fill a small book with the material in reality, but you have a basic concept from this.

The liturgical Holidays are designed as an outlet to minister to the lost by using the common overlap of hospitality in almost every culture as a ground to use symbolism to explain the Gospel by explaining the symbolism to the guest. The gifts are to represent the gifts the wise men gave Jesus. The Tree was an attempt to redeem pagan traditions to help bring people into the home. Also, the dates are set according to such holidays to help that transition, which is why so many tree ornaments focus on symbolizing Christ traditionally, The red balls, the star, etc. on the Tree.

So look at these standards and challenge yourself deeper. Are you celebrating Christmas? Or are you celebrating your family? Don’t invite the lost to the church. The vernacular used seldom makes sense. Invite them to your home and evangelize them there if they are Muslim or Jews; just don’t serve pork. The Gospel is not a build it, and they will come Gospel. It is a go sacrificially love them and tell them the eternal truth Gospel so that they may encounter the pure love of Christ and eternity with him. Your most significant common ground with any culture is hospitality.

Please use these holidays wisely. It’s why they are on our calendar to make an eternal impact.

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