O you who love the Lord, hate evil! – Psalm 97:10 ~ There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. – Proverbs 14:12
Every Christian tradition needs to ask itself to what degree iron and clay are mixed in its building blocks and to be self-critical about the Gospel sustainability of its foundation.
From the article, “The Clay of Paganism with the Iron of Christianity”: Cornelius Van Til’s Critique of Roman Catholicism
(hattip: Maria from A Pilgrim’s Progress
FTA: A positive thought which comes to me as I consider the focus of this movie (Saving Christmas) is that the truth of Christmas’ pagan origins, and the conviction that participating in such rites is contradictory to the will of God, is increasing to such an extent that it has now appeared on the radar of mainline denominational Christianity. It is no small decision for many believers to choose not to participate in Christmas, for it is a cherished holiday, loved as much by the unsaved as it is by those professing to be Christians. That so many are paying the cost of estrangement, reproaches, and being labeled extremist, by family, friends, and neighbors reveals that there remains a remnant who place obedience to God above personal interests.
A needed exhortation for both those who know God’s Word concerning the observing of pagan/papist/traditions of men and those who don’t know (or don’t care to know). Prayerfully and humbly watch this video and learn what God would have us to know in our relation to our beloved brethren with the knowledge we have been given:
“He does not know that he does not know” that he is arrogant. This is why we must be prayerful when correcting others. Pray for God’s heart in the matter. We need to be mindful of our attitude-are we arrogant with the knowledge we have? Are we wanting to be right and do we have to get the last word in? Can we say what must be said, using God’s Word and His wisdom of approach, then leave it at that even if they reviled us? Are we willing to be corrected without taking offense? Can we not take offense though our corrector is wrong? Watchmen must be on their knees in prayer at all times that God may be glorified and not ourselves. Once we say what needs to be said, and have lovingly answered questions and have overlooked insults (and there will be those false accusations!) then we leave it with our Lord-its His work, not ours.
From the post, “Christmas-Perpetuating the Lie”:
We as human beings are very influenced by our peers. Christmas has been one of those issues for me. I feel it’s time to share, with those who would be interested to hear, why I do not celebrate Christmas. Maybe a better way of saying it would be why I try not to celebrate Christmas. It seems to me that there is something supernatural “surrounding” the celebration of Christmas, because the pull to conform is incredible. This is what the Lord has shown me:…
There are certain principles to be gleaned from the life of Pilate. Years ago as I was seeking the Lord about celebrating Christmas I was led to study the following. I believe the principles apply. There are many reasons why we don’t do what we know to be right. The following excerpts are from the study notes of the New Life Application Bible:
“For Pilate there was never a doubt about Jesus’ innocence.
Pilate went against what he knew was right.
Pilate chose the easier path rather than standing up against the crowd.
Pilate’s greatest sin was compromising what he knew to be true and right for the sake of position, status, and personal gain.
Pilate had no good excuse to condemn Jesus, but he was afraid of the mob.
In making no decision, Pilate made the decision to let the crowds crucify Jesus. Although he washed his hands, the guilt remained. Washing your hands of a tough situation doesn’t cancel your guilt. It merely gives you a false sense of peace. Don’t make excuses – take responsibility for the decisions you make.”
Read the rest of the article here.
The X Mass Blog 