SCRIPTURES FOR THE NEW YEAR

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

SCRIPTURES FOR THE NEW YEAR 

Wow, I can't believe the New Year is saying hello!  Ready or not we must put last year behind us and embrace the new year with confidence.  With Christmas back in boxes and that new year calendar on the wall it's time to look forward to what lies ahead in Christ.  That's not hard to do when we have so many promises from God that get us excited about the future!   

(Psalm 65:11) You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance. 

(Isaiah 42:16) I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them. 

(Isaiah 43:18-19) “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  

(Isaiah 45:2) ‘I will go before you and make the crooked places straight… 

(Jeremiah 29:11) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 

(Jeremiah 33:3) ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ 

(Ephesians 3:20) Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. 

(Philippians 3:13-14) Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

(Titus 2:13) looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. 

(Revelation 21:5) Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” 

(Revelation 22:20-21) He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 

Louie

CHRISTMAS IN REVELATION

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

CHRISTMAS IN REVELATION

Did you know that Christmas is found in the book of Revelation? 

First you have a Satanic Christmas because the world will be so evil during the Tribulation:  (Rev 11:7-10) When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.  8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.  9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.  10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 

Notice how people were so excited to get rid of the two witnesses of God that they exchanged gifts!  See what happens when you take Christ out of society?  God puts the spirit of celebration in our hearts and if we don’t worship His Son then we end up with a cheap substitute.  How meaningless the holiday can be when you replace it with something so foreign to its original design.  Having Christmas without Christ is like people coming over to your birthday party and no one ever acknowledges you or even gives you a present.  It’s all about you, but your friends make it into something that’s all about them.    

Then you have a picture of the events of Bethlehem during the birth of Christ: (Rev 12:1-5) Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.  2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.  4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.  5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 

The woman is Israel (Gen 37:9‑11) and she is in pain to give birth because Israel was waiting for the Messiah to come forth.  The red dragon represents Satan and His murderous nature.  He rebelled against God and was kicked out of heaven taking a third of the angels with him, who became demons.  When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Satan stirred up Herod to kill the Christ child but Joseph and his family fled to Egypt for safety (Mat 2:13-16).  Jesus was to be born and then die for the sins of mankind.  He rose again from the dead and then ascended to the Father.  Soon He will rule in His kingdom on the earth and the whole world will worship Him.   

The devil’s holiday or Merry CHRISTmas.  Let’s give gifts to honor the greatest gift of all…Jesus! 

Louie

PAGAN ORIGINS OF CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

PAGAN ORIGINS OF CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

It is so surprising and eye opening to discover that there are pagan backgrounds to some of our Christmas traditions.  Here are a few of the main ones:

CHRISTMAS TREES: One of the symbols of life found in the pagan celebration of saturnalia, was the use of evergreens. These plants, which stayed green all year long, were often used in different cultures as symbols of life and rebirth. They were sometimes decorated as a form of worship in varied cultures in religious ceremonies dealing with fertility.

MISTLETOE: The Celts believed that the plant, which is a parasite that lives on trees, contained the soul of the tree on which it lived. Druid priests would cut it up and distribute it to the people who would place the cuttings over the doorways of their homes. This was supposed to protect the dwellers from various forms of evil.

YULE LOG:  The Yule Log was taken from ancient sun worship rituals. Yule Logs were supposed to be cut from red oak trees and burned all of Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day. It was unlucky to buy your own log and lucky ones usually came from your neighbor’s woodpile. It was also customary to light the new log with a scrap of last year's log. The scrap was kept under the homeowners’ bed to protect the home from fire and lightning during the next year.

HOLLY:  In Northern Europe Christmas occurred during the middle of winter, when ghosts and demons could be heard howling in the winter winds. Boughs of holly, believed to have magical powers since they remained green through the harsh winter, were often placed over the doors of homes to drive evil away.

CHRISTMAS WREATH:  In ancient Rome, people used decorative wreaths as a sign of victory. The origins of the Advent wreath are found in the folk practices of the pre-Christian Germanic peoples who, during the cold December darkness of Eastern Europe, gathered wreaths of evergreen and lighted fires as signs of hope in a coming spring and renewed light.

So how should Christians respond to these pagan traditions of Christmas?  Some believers will choose not to fall into the trappings of Christmas, which would irk their conscience. (Rom 14:23) But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.  Other Christians fall prey to the crass commercialism of the holiday and need the reminder of Scripture: (1 John 2:15) Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For others Christmas is a welcome and warm tradition that includes family and friends and faith at a special time of year.  (1 Cor 10:31) Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  It’s up to you.  Will Christmas at your house be pagan or praising?  

Louie