Why follow the world honoring Easter & Christmas

[ituttut]

I got the perfect thing, for a "special" Maundy Thursday service!.

Do the usual "Good Friday" service on Thursday; tell 'em there was no such thing as "Good Friday", and that this is really 'Passover', and that Thursday is the day the crucifixion had to take place, in order to fit all the Scripture!

Then, sit back, kick up your heels, and watch the fun begin!

Hello Ed. Wednesday is the only possible day for Jesus to have been crucified. No other day can possibly fit when we use the words of Jesus, and other biblical references.

 

[ituttut]

Strange as this sounds, I just might do it...

Let's start a Good Thursday observance...

That would be closer to the truth.

 

[ituttut]

The use of three days and three nights does not have to mean an exact 72 hour period. Unless you have an agenda.

Since when, when it is what God said? God had a plan, a divine program, and Jesus carried it out perfectly.

Is it I that has an "agenda"?

 

[abcgrad94]

itittut, Are you talking about the usage of rabbits and eggs that represented fertility? I understand that in ancient times, those were symbols of fertility used in the worship of false gods.

Nowadays, the eggs are used to represent a new beginning. I'm not sure about the rabbits. Maybe they are just left over from the old pagan traditions. At any rate, Easter has come to mean Resurrection Day. It can't be considered a stumbling block because nobody uses that day to worship pagan fertility gods any more, at least no one I know of. Society has changed the word to mean something else. That's not a sin. Over the years many of our words have taken on different meanings.

 

[ituttut]

Why follow the world by honoring false gods by using the names that are assigned (in the English speaking world) to the days of the week?

Sunday - the day of the sun
Monday - the day of the moon
Tuesday - Zeus day
Wednesday - Woden's day
Thursday - Thor's day
Friday - Frieda's day
Saturday - Saturn's Day

These are of the world, and not the Church. We live in this world, and yet can be members of the Body of Christ. In this Church we are spiritual, and not worldly. But in our bodies we do live in this world, and we can do nothing about that, so we conform, but do not worship the days. We are not to bring into the church or worship in our Church what is worldly. Galatians 4:10-11, "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."

We must remember we are still living in the time of Gentiles, but God will change all of this after he comes back in His wrath to deal with His people, the idol worshippers, Israel. They acted just like we Gentile, so today He has lumped them in with us. Now it is possible for God to reconcile the world unto Himself.

Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.​

This time frame has nothing to do with us, and we are not Israel, and in God's sight today there is no difference in me a Gentile, and one that is from the blood line "Israel" the man.

Can you show me in the era of Exodus, before the "Time of the Gentiles", that Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc. was used to identify the days of the week? Scripture shows they counted the days, viz. day 1, day 2, and the only day named was the Sabbath. This is the way they kept the time of the days, from the Sabbath. The next day was the "first day", and then the "second day", until they reached the "6th day". They knew the "7th day", was the Sabbath, and then they again begin to count over. This is done all the way through the Bible. It does not conform to what we may imply in our "worldly knowledge". His Word is not of this world.

 

[ituttut]

My former Pastor (called up to glory about 7 years ago) used to say, "If the world is willing to set a day aside to honor my Lord and Savior then I don't see anything wrong with taking advantage of that."

We can do as we wish, but is it to the glory of God that we worship what the world tells us to worship?

At the time he was talking about the practice in our community of letting people have a few hours off on Good Friday to go to church or mass or whatever. Our church always had a Good Friday afternoon service and he encouraged our people to invite neighbors and coworkers to come.

I don't see anything wrong with it myself.

What does good Friday imply to you, and where did the term come from?

 

[HankD]

The argument of the pagan origin of our customs doesn't hold water. If you were to avoid all things "pagan", you would have to leave this world!

Whether or not someone chooses to celebrate, in faith, a holiday is most definitely a freedom and conscience issue.

I personally believe it is not so much a matter of WHAT you celebrate as WHY you celebrate it.

Well Beth, I was being facetious and you hit the nail just about square.

If the OP is true then so is my post because it's based upon the same principle.

Although I can tell you from the writings of the early Church Fathers that Christians in the first 2 centuries worried about these very things.

Things like images on coins. One Christian woman I read about in the early Church of Rome had a problem because the City of Rome had changed the name of her street from something like "Water Street" to "Isis Street" in honor of the goddess Isis. She sold her house and moved.

The bottom line is the leading of the Spirit through the Word and the exercise of our faith.

...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.



HankD

 

[gb93433]

Who here can find Easter, Lent, and Good Friday in the Bible? God in the beginning tells what a day and night is, and three days in the earth tells us man is wrong again. Friday from 6PM to Saturday 6PM (1st day) to Sunday 6PM (2nd day) to Monday 6PM (3rd day) just will not cut the mustard as to when Jesus Christ arose.

What did you call the names of the days of the week? Those are such worldly names.

 

[EdSutton]

Hello Ed. Wednesday is the only possible day for Jesus to have been crucified. No other day can possibly fit when we use the words of Jesus, and other biblical references.

You and I have been over this at least once and perhaps twice before. Why do it again?

Ed

 

[John of Japan]

As you say most have no problem in this area. But you are associated with the pagan as the Holy Day/s is of origin from them, and we cannot deny this. This was brought into the Catholic Church, with the dates that the pagans (both our Easter, and Christmas) demanded Constantine to include.

As someone who actually lives in a heathen culture, I'd like to give an alternate explanation. (I realize that America is rapidly becoming heathen, but believe me, it isn't to be compared with a truly heathen country like Japan, with only 1% professing Christian.)

Many churches in Japan try to offer an alternative celebration to the heathen Japanese celebrations of New Year's Day (when the first idol worship of the new year takes place) and the "Bon" Festival in August (when souls returning from Hell for a brief break are honored). That way believers can avoid the heathen practices and honor God. I see nothing wrong with that. In particular, weak Christians are given a way to avoid temptation, and that is a good thing.

I believe that Christmas and Easter were probably instituted in place of the heathen holidays, rather than as a continuation of them. I can't prove this historically--but then no one can prove it isn't true either. And it fits the data, unless you live in America with a church on every corner, Bibles in every bookstore and Christian programs on every TV and radio. :type:

 

[HankD]

This time frame has nothing to do with us, and we are not Israel, and in God's sight today there is no difference in me a Gentile, and one that is from the blood line "Israel" the man.

Can you show me in the era of Exodus, before the "Time of the Gentiles", that Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc. was used to identify the days of the week? Scripture shows they counted the days, viz. day 1, day 2, and the only day named was the Sabbath. This is the way they kept the time of the days, from the Sabbath. The next day was the "first day", and then the "second day", until they reached the "6th day". They knew the "7th day", was the Sabbath, and then they again begin to count over. This is done all the way through the Bible. It does not conform to what we may imply in our "worldly knowledge". His Word is not of this world.

Well Ituttut, I mostly agree. It's whatever your faith allows. Paul said

"we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one".

However I disagree that this matter has "nothing to do with us".

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

However, if people's faith allows them the practice of celebrating the Lord's birth and resurrection by observing certain days then so be it.

Personally I could do without the "traditional" Christmas devoid of Christ.

May God bless you Ituttut.

HankD​

 

[tinytim]

If you go back only 20 or so years, you'll find no Baptist church would ever go along with Lent.

Not so, I now pastor a church that observed lent many yrs ago, like in the 40s and 50s.

As a matter of fact, when I came to this church a couple yrs ago, the older members 65-80 yr olds came to me and wanted to make sure that I would observe advent, and wanted me to reinstitute lent.

Since Advent never was stopped being observed, and since I was familiar with it from previous churches.. I enjoy observing advent.

This yr, we are keeping the palm leaves on Palm Sunday, drying them, and burning them to use for Ash Wednesday next yr.

We will again, after 50 some yrs observe lent again.

Of course it will have a Baptist spin on it.
I will probably preach a series of sermons on prayer and fasting.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

How hard can this be?

"One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it."

On some issues the word of God is not clear, it is clear on this one. Why do we fight over it 3-4 times a year?

 

[sag38]

How hard can this be?

"One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it."

On some issues the word of God is not clear, it is clear on this one. Why do we fight over it 3-4 times a year?

Agreed, if you don't want to celebrate lent, Christmas, etc in your church then more power to you. But, get off the high horse of judgment of other churches who do. As for me and my church we will do what we darn well please without undo influence from those who don't like Christmas trees, Easter eggs, and an Advent Wreath. Just because something may have pagan origins or Catholic origins doesn't necessarily make it pagan or Catholic in my home or my church.

 

[chuck2336]

Just so ya'll know. Some of you just really crack me up. I can be in the middle of a not so great day and check the board and see some of the knit picking going on and I have to laugh.

FTR I will keep my celebrations and love those who may disagree.

Now will somone please pass the deviled eggs! (from another thread!)

 

[rbell]

Nowadays, the eggs are used to represent a new beginning. I'm not sure about the rabbits.

Here, rabbits tend to represent lunch. Or supper.

 

[abcgrad94]

Here, rabbits tend to represent lunch. Or supper.

That's good enough for me!:laugh:

 

[sag38]

Yeah, let me catch the easter bunny in my garden. It goes good with the carrots that I'm growing.

 

[EdSutton]

... and see some of the knit picking going on ...

"That's 'nitpicking'."

Signed, Language Cop

:laugh:

 

[EdSutton]

How hard can this be? ...

Why do we fight over it 3-4 times a year?

Um' - 'cause we still got time left over after arguing over "Baptist" bein' on the church sign, maybe?? :laugh:

Ed