Jesus was not born on December 25, yet at this time we can’t help thinking about him, his birth, his life and his mission. On Dec 26, the radio program Christian Questions broadcast a beautiful devotional and musical journey with scripture readings and discussion, all surrounding the birth and mission of Jesus, our Savior.
Where is the real Christmas? Christian Questions Program # 639.
Jas 1:17 says Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights in whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning.
Isus a mers la sărbătoarea Dedicării Templului care se ţinea în jurul datei de 25 decembrie.Isus a fost crucificat chiar de paştele evreilor.Oare Dumnezeu nu a vrut ca Isus să se nască şi să fie o dedicare a Templului?Prin această naştere să profeşească dărâmarea templului în anul 70 D.Cr.?
Just want to say that the reason JW’s celebrate their anniversaries and overexaggerate the importance of them is because of having nothing else to “celebrate” that is to say nothing else to party over in their lives. Hence, they overcompensate for this by turning their marriage day into some kind of holy remembrance day that must be worshipped and honoured every year without letup.
A kind of idolatry.
I still have issues with Christmas.I am not afraid of it anymore,I just wonder,it is clear, it has pagan origins.I guess,my questions is,if we truly want to please Jehovah,why would we keep a pagan holiday? However,I do understand and respect Anonymous’s view.Can somebody help please? God Bless!
Hi David, Thanks for commenting.I know as a witness I always thought of things as pleasing or unpleasing to Jehovah, but he does not comment on the celebration of birthdays. Checking the different scriptures where birthdays are mentioned, the subject isn’t about celebration of birthdays at all , there is something else going on. That is why the society says listen to the leanings because they know this. Some that want to remember Christ’s birthday chose to do so at a time when everyone else does. I find that as a JW every aspect of our life was shaped by what the pagans did in the past. Although the society says we are free from Babylon influences. Why stop at pagan influences in holidays? Why not ban the wedding ring, the white dress or I could imagine a lot of things we do in everyday life at some point in the past may have had negative connotations, but we don’t think of it that way, or just don’t know about it. Love is an identifying quality, not whether or not one checks everything for paganism, although one would not go looking for pagan things to do. But it is a smokescreen to keep one from really looking into the Bible by being taken a thither by mundane musings(wow, that was a mouth full, but I like it, ha ha). I always ask is it a salvation issue? The article contains thoughts and scriptures I won’t mention them again here.
I don’t like the commerciallization of any of the holidays myself. I see nothing wrong however with giving gifts at the end of the year. People expect them in America at that time. I usually use regular wrappings for my paper boy, mail person etc. I like to give children in my family gifts at this time because all their little friends get stuff and it is on sale. (commercialization cheap (:) ). Is Jehovah offended by recognizing his son’s birth?
Well, at Jesus’ big birthday, Angels sang. I don’t think anyone has had a birthday like that where heavenly host goes and tell the world. And the party continues for a while.
The magi saw “HIS STAR”. This star was obviously from God. Joseph and Mary was very poor, but the gifts from the magi would allow them to flee to Egypt and be able to support themselves for quite some time. What a wonderful provision for his son and his earthly parents. I think God was glad his son was born. He could not have died if he was not born.
I don’t personnally believe in being a slave to birthday celebrations, but my cousin was one of the oldest black persons alive when I was a girl at 111yrs. The newspaper came to write the story for her 112th birthday but she died 3days or weeks before. My brother was over this and he and all of our family were witnesses. Most parents like to pay attention to milestone birthdays. My grandson is just so glad he is five, he gets to go to school. He tells everyone he is five. Sweet 16 is a very special time for girls, they are going into womanhood.
Job had special celebration days for each of his children.
Anniversaries are celebrated whoelheartedly by JW. They say God created marriage. He also had a big birthday celebration for his son and had it recorded. Some anniverary parties rival huge weddings within the JW organization. This is alright if the couple choses. Most JW women are very tolerant, so a huge party is in order if she is married 25 or more years.
All seems to come down to whether it is prohibited by Jehovah, Jesus or the Bible. We could probably find some pagan musing wrong with the dreaded Black Cat, they had a lot of pagan symbolism ,mirrors, (I know a few). Bracelets, especially on the ankle,(some would think of prostitution, blacks would think of slavery, see what I mean?) high heels and the front zipper fly on the pants of females. (not needed for a female, think about the origin). We could go on and on and miss out on the real issues in the Bible.
The Ransom of Christ and the Restitution of all things. If Jehovah didn’t see fit to tell us not to do this or that in the Bible, I try not to lay any futher burden on myself. Only to be more holy in the things Jehovah speaks of in the Bible. !Cor 4:6,7 admonishes, in Part ” Do not go beyond what is written”. It throws one off course with the addtional preferences of the society. Might it just be about CONTROL? Control of the masses, all persons have bithdays but not everyone has a cat or an ankle bracelet or front zip pznts for females..
This is just how I have learned to deal with the shedding of the mind control. It is a fight, but I try to see if the Bible is really dealing with the issue they say. Well, 90 percent of the time, the answer is no, they are masters however in manipulation of the mind to make you think God said something he didn’t. Like in Eden when satan said is it really so, that God said…….. Eve corrected him and stated it correctly but he still manipulated and deceived her. My opinion only.
Little does the Watchtower advertise that at one time, Christmas was celebrated by the JW’s and even encouraged by Russell!!!! Today, JW’s reject it, because the Watchtower has changed it’s mind. While no where in the Bible does it state that a person MUST observe Christmas, no where does the Bible condemn the observance of the Lord Jesus’ birth. What is MORE troublesome is an organization such as the Watchtower that is supposedly speaking for God to the people of this world and they err. They once said it was okay. Now it’s not. Did Jehovah God changes is mind? Of course not, “I am the Lord, I change not.” Malachi 3:6 Beware….the Watchtower IS a false prophet. Deuteronomy 18:22 “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” The Watchtower has predicted the end of the world and set dates with nothing happening, and it seems they can’t even discern what Jehovah has said concerning Christmas celebrations. Too bad.
Very insightful Anonymous. Thank you for commenting and feel free to ask questions or comment on any info on this sight. In brotherly Love