In these days when the Lord Himself is praying for unity in the body of Christ throughout the world, we find ourselves faced with answering these kinds of questions. Patricia King has a good answer, reminding us of Apostle Paul who said, To the pure all things are pure. (TITUS 1:15) Let us embrace and bless our brothers and sisters in Christ, encouraging one another and praying for one another- for the days are evil.
Love in Messiah, Ruth
From Patricia King, posted on the Elijah List Ministries www.elijahlist.com
"When you remember His extravagant gift, how can you not reach out to bless others?"
The other day, I visited a museum in the Old City of Jerusalem. This museum featured some artifacts and remains of a priest's home that was burned in the fire of the second tabernacle--approximately 70 years after Jesus died. Inscribed on the wall of the museum were the words of a Jewish Historian:
"The first tabernacle was destroyed because of idolatry, illicit relationships, and bloodshed. The second was destroyed because of pure hatred."
The Jews were divided in their perspectives at that time, and these differences in beliefs ended up in severe political and religious tensions. The factions became so volatile, that each group literally despised the other. In the midst of their quarrelling and divisive actions, the Romans came through the gates and burned the temple, killing men, women, and children. There were few survivors. Their houses were left desolate. The temple was burned to the ground. They were so focused on their differences that they failed to see the bigger battle.
Factions in the Church Today
I think of the church today with all our factions (divisions). One group stands against another due to differences in doctrinal and theological interpretations. We sometimes refuse to have anything to do with another due to differences of beliefs, and yet, we all believe that Jesus is Lord. We judge and condemn each other refusing to fellowship or labor together. Let's beware--a house divided against itself will fall.
December is the month where the Christian world celebrates the birth of Christ. The traditional belief of the date of Christ's conception was March 25 (around the spring equinox), and December 25th was nine months later. It is this date that we celebrate as the birth of Christ. Many have refuted this date as being accurate, and it is possible and even probable that it is not. Should this make a difference in our heart's focus though?
Wars are arising in the Church even concerning the celebration of Christmas. Some challenge the celebration saying that it has pagan roots. They challenge the accuracy of the date, they claim that Christmas trees are evil because they were an object of pagan worship, and they say that caroling also has its foundation in paganism.
Some say, we should honor the Jewish feasts (Bible feasts) instead. Others in the body believe that to do so would be an expression of legalism and religion, and so the factions begin--the war rages.
Purity of the Heart is Important
"Man looks to the outward appearance but God looks to the heart."
Let us be careful not to get our focus off of what is important. Man looks to the outward appearance but God looks to the heart. If our desire is to celebrate the birth of Jesus at this time of the year, then let that be done according to the purity of the heart and with integrity of conviction before Him. The attention of the whole world is called to acknowledge the birth of the Savior at this time of year, even if they don't believe.
Let's pray during this time that the revelation of Christ will fill the earth. Would this not be a better way to spend our time, rather than being at war with each other over how we celebrate Him?
The Jewish Celebration of Hanukkah
Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish festival that is celebrated in the month of December. This year, it is celebrated from sundown on December 15 through sundown December 23. Hanukkah means "dedication," and so this celebration has great significance.
History of Hanukkah
The holiday commemorates the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jews 165 B.C. victory over the Hellenist Syrians. Antiochus, the Greek King of Syria, outlawed Jewish rituals and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods.
In 168 B.C., the Jews holy Temple was seized and dedicated to the worship of Zeus. Some Jews were afraid of the Greek soldiers and obeyed them, but most Jews were angry and decided to fight back.
The fighting began in Modiin, a village not far from Jerusalem. A Greek officer and soldiers assembled the villagers, asking them to bow to an idol and eat the flesh of a pig, which are activities forbidden to Jews.
The Greek officer asked Mattathias, a Jewish High Priest, to take part in the ceremony. He refused, and another villager stepped forward and offered to do it instead. Mattathias became outraged, took out his sword, and killed this villager, then killed the officer. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked and killed the soldiers. Mattathias' family went into hiding in the nearby mountains, where many other Jews who wanted to fight the Greeks joined them. They attacked the Greek soldiers whenever possible.
Judah Maccabee (the second leader of the Judean revolt against the Greek-Syrians), and his soldiers went to the Holy Temple, and were saddened that many things were missing or broken, including the golden menorah. They cleaned and repaired the Temple, and when they were finished, they decided to have a big dedication ceremony.
For the celebration, the Maccabees wanted to light the menorah. They looked everywhere for oil, and found a small flask that contained only enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days. This gave them enough time to obtain new oil to keep the menorah lit.
Today, Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night, thus commemorating the eight-day miracle.
What a wonderful celebration! At this time, we can remember to worship God as a God of Miracles. At this time, we can remember Jesus, who is the true Light of the world.
Some dear friends of ours, David and Stephanie Herzog introduced us to the Hanukkah celebration. The Herzogs and their children, celebrate Hanukkah in a wonderful way. They light the menorah every night and have gifts for the children to open each day. They celebrate by opening their home to family and friends, as they serve special meals, and enjoy times of visiting, prayer, worship, and showing hospitality. We as a family, were so touched last year through the Herzog's family celebration, that this year, we are going to celebrate Hanukkah. I love it.
What About Christmas?
"Christmas to us is a wonderful celebration and remembrance of the birth of our Savior."
Do we need to abandon our tradition of celebrating Christmas in exchange for Hanukkah? What if December 25th is not really the actual birthday of Jesus? What if the origin of the Christmas tree is a pagan practice?
As a family, we celebrate Christmas. The Bible says, "to the pure all things are pure." Christmas to us is a wonderful celebration and remembrance of the birth of our Savior. I love reflecting on the extravagant gift of our Heavenly Father's wonderful love at this time, even though we are called to remember Him at all times, not just in this season.
Our tradition is to give gifts to others at this time in the same way, our Father has blessed us. It is a holiday filled with love, kindness, joy, and blessing. As a ministry, we are busy preparing boxes of gifts and turkey dinners, complete with all the trimmings to give to the poor. We have special projects to care for single parents and orphans.
When you remember His extravagant gift, how can you not reach out to bless others? Caring for the poor blesses His heart, and so this is our gift back to Him. We do this all throughout the year, but during this season, we have special added touches that we really enjoy.
In our tradition, we do have a tree. I have never thought of this as a pagan ritual. For us, it has a different meaning. An evergreen tree to me is a symbol of life. Jesus is the Tree of Life and as we abide in Him, we have life. If we mediate on His Word day and night, we will be like a tree planted by rivers of water. Isaiah says that we are like trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that He might be glorified. The lights on the tree remind us that He is the Light of the World and that we reflect His light and beauty in the earth.
Our tradition includes filling our home with family and friends. We host special meals and celebrations with our team and those we love. We light the fire, burn specially scented candles, bake cookies, and decorate our home and center with beautiful reminders of His love, joy, and peace.
A Special Season to Be Enjoyed
"Let us not walk with judgment towards each other as to how we are going to celebrate the season."
December is a special time of year. For some, it is a celebration of Hanukkah remembering Christ, the miracle working God and the Light of the world. To some, it is a celebration of Christmas remembering that Christ came into the world to save sinners. And to some, like ourselves, it is a celebration of both. To me, it all sounds wonderful. It is all about Him. Let's celebrate in as many ways as we can with a heart full of passion. He is worthy!
Let us not walk with judgment towards each other as to how we are going to celebrate the season. Let us simply walk in our own convictions, and then, go love everyone with extravagant love!!! Enjoy and embrace your conviction to the fullest, but don't judge another.
So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain Holy days, or new moon ceremonies, or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ Himself is that reality. Colossians 2:16-17
In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. Those who worship the Lord on a special day, do so to honor Him. For we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord.
So why do we condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let's stop condemning each other. Romans 14:5, 6a, 7, 8, 10, 12
Have a wonderful time this season, enjoying reflections of His goodness and expressing it to others. May your home be filled with the essence of His glorious presence.
Happy Holidays
--Love Him and love each other.
--Make the season special!
Joy to the world, the Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King!
Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth Peace and
Good Will towards men.
Be Blessed!
Patricia King
www.extremeprophetic.com
patricia@extremeprophetic.com
What does the Lord require of us?
It hath been told thee, O man, what is good, and what the LORD doth require of thee: only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. Micah 6:8
So what does this mean? Clearly God is Holy, and we are to be holy like He is-the Bible tells us this (Leviticus 11, 19, 20; confirmed in 1 Peter 1:16). But does this mean we have to be perfect, forgiving everyone who wrongs us, loving even the most unlovable, never getting angry, never making mistakes, etc., etc.? I have asked God many times how do I walk through life with imperfect people hurting me, and me being so imperfect myself- How can I ever be worthy to follow God?
It seems many people are contemplating these questions today. Islam is suddenly challenging the complacency of Christianity in America and many nations. This religion, based on strict rules and earning your way to heaven, appeals to many today that are tired of the loose interpretation of scripture in churches and moral relativism that has pervaded in our society. The Koran calls for all to convert to Islam or die. The Bible speaks of God's wrath and plan of salvation for the Jews in the Old Testament and Jesus' love and forgiveness for Jew and gentile(all non-Jews) in the New Testament. Though the Koran is inconsistent, calling for Jews to be honored for being the keepers of the Book and then later calling for their destruction, it always depicts Allah as a harsh god to be obeyed. The Bible is an amazing book, not written by a single man, but by some 40 men over a long period of time, beginning with Moses. Yet when examined as a single work, inspired as it claims to be, by God himself, it becomes an amazing work that allows anyone to get to know the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His is a holy and righteous, yet loving and merciful personality. A God who wishes to become man's friend (as King David was) is seen through the entire book. This is a religion, and a God, of faithfulness and love.
I am not a Biblical scholar, but I have read the Bible at least 50 times. When you read a book so much, you do get to know the author. So as I have walked with God over these now, many years, I ask questions and He answers. Not in an audible voice, like my husband, but in many subtle ways. Lately I have been contemplating these questions as I have seen them voiced in the world media as well as by individuals. The verse I quoted at the beginning is the main answer to the question posed in the title of this article. God expects us to be faithful to our vows, as He is to His vows to us. Beginning in Genesis you see these characteristics of God, yes, He is righteous and holy and demanding as much from us, but He is also El Shaddai-the Provider. His grace and mercy, combined with His faithfulness, are the foundation and sign posts of our faith. He has given us righteousness and holiness through providing the Blood of His sacrifice, His son Jesus. In the New Testament, Gospel of John chapter 1, it says the Word of God is God, became flesh and dwelt among us-speaking of Jesus.
How awesome! So as I read the Bible, the Word of God, I really can see His face and get to know His character. This is what the scripture in Hosea is speaking of. It is not what we do, or don't do. It isn't that we never make mistakes or selfish choices. It is our attitude. We are to "be" like Him-not "act" like Him. Though our actions will follow, and are in fact, evidence of what is inside of us. If we trust in the faithfulness of God and His promises of grace and mercy, we will trust Him to bring justice, peace and good out of the chaos and brokenness of our lives. Do you trust Him to orchestrate your life in truth and righteousness, desiring to please Him and be His representative to this broken and hurting world? If you seek these things as your goal- truly to become more like Him, see from His perspective and carry out your life with His motivations, seeking no glory or attention for ourselves, He promises to direct our paths and walk with us each and every step. This is more than my mind can comprehend! Yet as I look at the last 30 years of my life, I see the hand print of God in all that I have done.
Be merciful and gracious to me, oh God, according to your great mercies, may Your mercy and grace be shown to all I encounter. Thank you Lord, for You are faithful!
The More I Seek You
Jerusalem Springtime © horizon minitries
The More I Seek You
The more I seek You
The more I find You
The more I find You
The more I love You
I wanna sit at Your feet
Drink from the cup in Your hand
Lay back against You and breathe
Feel Your heartbeat
This love is so deep
it's more than I can stand
I melt in Your peace
It's overwhelming.
The more I find You
The more I find You
The more I love You
I wanna sit at Your feet
Drink from the cup in Your hand
Lay back against You and breathe
Feel Your heartbeat
This love is so deep
it's more than I can stand
I melt in Your peace
It's overwhelming.
©1999 CFN Music All rights reserved.
International copyright secured.
CCLI song #4447991
This page was printed from: http://www.pwarchive.com/song.aspx?SongID=2502
God is Awesome
© 2006 horizon ministries
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious. Say to God, "How awe-inspiring are Your works! Your enemies will cringe before You because of Your great strength. All the earth will worship You and sing praise to You. They will sing praise to Your name." Selah
Come and see the works of God; His acts toward mankind are awe-inspiring. He turned the sea into dry land, and they crossed the river on foot. There we rejoiced in Him. He rules forever by His might; He keeps His eye on the nations. The rebellious should not exalt themselves. Selah
Praise our God, you peoples; let the sound of His praise be heard. He keeps us alive and does not allow our feet to slip.
For You, God, tested us; You refined us as silver is refined. You lured us into a trap; You placed burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us out to abundance. I will enter Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows that my lips promised and my mouth spoke during my distress....
Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for me. I cried out to Him with my mouth, and praise was on my tongue. If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. However, God has listened; He has paid attention to the sound of my prayer. May God be praised! He has not turned away my prayer or turned His faithful love from me.
Psalm 66
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