2011: Looking Back, Looking Forward, Looking Up

Without question, 2011 was filled with events of great prophetic significance.

There's no doubt that we witnessed an acceleration, or a quickening if you will. Not only did we see an increase in the frequency of signs of the times, but we saw an increase in the intensity of those signs too.

You better believe that 2012 will be more of the same -- if not worse. By 'worse', I simply mean that for the non-believers out there, I have a feeling that 2012 will be a fulfillment of Luke 21:26. For the rest of us, we'll be strengthened in our faith and become even more hopeful that we'll be going home very soon!

Luke 21:28 (KJV) And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

In any event, here's an excellent summary of all the prophetically relevant events from 2011 courtesy of Chuck Missler's ministry...

2011 In Review: Destruction And Hope
from the December 27, 2011 eNews issue
http://www.khouse.org (visit our website for a FREE subscription)

There is no question that 2011 was a historically significant year. The Middle East erupted in revolutionary protests, and several well entrenched governments were overthrown. The Greek debt still hangs like Damocles’ sword over Europe and threatens the financial stability of the world. Earthquakes and tornadoes and fires and tsunamis across the globe once again left their destruction. Yet, in spite of the damage and violence, there was a lot of hope. Antiretroviral drugs were shown to reduce the spread of HIV, and several Mexican drug cartel bosses were captured. Babies were found alive in the wreckage. Good and bad, 2011 was a year for looking to the future.

January:
Jan 1 - Twenty-three people were killed on New Year’s Day in Alexandria, Egypt when a powerful car bomb detonated in front of a crowded Coptic Christian church as worshipers left the New Year’s Eve Mass. It was the most deadly attack against the Copts in a decade, and thousands of Copts demonstrated after the explosion, demanding the resignation of the Egyptian government.

Jan 1-2 - A crude oil pipeline went into operation between Siberia and China, with 15 million metric tons of crude per year expected to flow from Russia to energy-hungry China for the next two decades.

January 11 - An off-duty policeman on a Cairo-bound train shot and killed one Christian and wounded five others not even two weeks after the New Year’s Day bombing in Alexandria. A 71-year-old Coptic man was killed, and his wife and four other Christians were wounded.

February:
February 11 - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned after 30 years of rule under pressure of protests by demonstrators who demanded reforms against police brutality, government corruption, high unemployment, high food costs, and lack of freedom of speech. As a result, Egypt's new military leadership suspended the constitution, dissolved parliament and promised new elections. The demands for political reform had swept from Tunisia, where protests had started December 18, and moved across the Arab world. Mubarak’s resignation sparked demonstrations in Bahrain, Libya, Algeria, Yemen and Iran.

March:
March 11 - A 9.0 earthquake struck Honshu, Japan, triggering a deadly tsunami that wiped out the east coast of Honshu from Chiba to Aomori. At least 15,703 people were killed, 4,647 missing, 5,314 injured, and 130,927 displaced as a result of the earthquake and tsunami. At least 332,395 buildings, 2,126 roads, 56 bridges and 26 railways were destroyed and damaged by the disasters.

March 26 – Mobs of masked thugs attacked London police and began smashing into banks, storefronts and hotels after Prime Minister David Cameron announced a $130 billion cut in public spending. Up to half a million protestors led by anti-capitalists had marched from the Thames Embankment past the Houses of Parliament to Hyde Park. Criminals took over, starting fires and causing damage in London’s busiest shopping district. Over 200 people were arrested.

April:
April 12 - Japan raised the crisis level at its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant from 5 to 7, the highest level on the crisis scale, after the plant was damaged in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The high radiation leaks contaminated the air, tap water, surrounding farmland and seawater, and the Japanese government estimated the amount of contamination to equal approximately one-tenth of the amount released by the Chernobyl disaster.

May:
May 2 - Osama bin Laden was shot and killed inside a private compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, by U.S. Navy SEALs and CIA operatives. After he was positively identified, bin Laden was buried at sea.

May 22 - An EF-5 tornado hit the city of Joplin, Mo., leaving an estimated 157 people dead in the deadliest single tornado since the 1950s when modern record keeping began.

May 24 – Tornadoes claimed 10 more lives in Oklahoma, two more in Kansas, and six in Arkansas.

May 31 - Israel raided a Turkish flotilla in international waters as it headed to the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid and construction materials, with the intention of breaking the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip. A group of 13 Israeli naval commandos boarded one ship to force the flotilla to the Israeli port of Ashdod for inspection. Relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated as a result of the raid.

June:
June 20 – Mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Linda Thompson declared that she would fast and pray for three days. Religious leaders called on others to do the same for the good of the city and to encourage the local leaders to work together in solving the city’s financial difficulties. "Things that are above and beyond my control, I need God," Thompson said. "I depend on Him for guidance. Spiritual guidance. That's why it's really no struggle for me to join this fast and prayer."

June 24 - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation legalizing same-sex marriages in the state. Republicans demanded stronger legal protections for religious groups that feared they would be hit with discrimination lawsuits if they refused to allow their facilities to be used for gay weddings.

July:
Thirteen-year-old Aidan Dwyer was honored to receive the 2011 Young Naturalist Award from the American Museum of Natural History in New York for his work in applying the Fibonacci sequence to solar panel arrays. He found that small solar panels arranged according to the Fibonacci sequence, a pattern found in tree branches, produced 20 percent more energy than flat panel arrays. Dwyer has been awarded a provisional patent for his innovation. Eleven student naturalists were honored with Dwyer for other discoveries.

July 16-17 - Mexican federal police swept through Ciudad Juarez and arrested more than 1,000 people in an operation aimed at cracking down on human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The operation was part of Mexico’s AMBER Alert program to locate missing children.

August:
Aug 5 – Twelve-year-old Dale Ostrander drowned off the Oregon coast after he was dragged under by a rip tide. He was under the water for 25 minutes and was technically dead when brought to shore. Family and church members began praying. After CPR, Dale regained a faint heart beat, and within three days the boy was conscious and talking.

Aug 6-10 – Rioting, looting and arson spread through several London boroughs and across England after a young black man named Mark Duggan was shot to death by police on August 4. Londoners sought to protect themselves from the looters, and by August 15, 3,100 people had been arrested and 1000 charged. More than 3000 crimes were linked to the lawlessness.

Aug 21 – Tripoli fell to anti-Gaddafi forces. Revolutionary fighters gained control of one stronghold.

Aug 23 - A rare magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Mineral, Virginia. Jokes quickly spread across the Internet as the U.S. West Coast teased Washington DC and its surrounding areas for making such a big fuss over a 5.8 quake.

September:
Sept 17 – Occupy Wall Street began in Zuccotti Park in New York City, started by the Canadian anti-capitalist group Adbusters. The protests sparked similar protests in cities across America, where demonstrators "occupied" against high unemployment and economic inequality.

Sept 26 - Israel's national museum made some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including the book of Isaiah, available online.

October:
Oct 20 - Deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was shot to death during his capture by the Libyan National Liberation Army. He had been the leader of Libya for 41 years.

Oct 25 – Turkish rescue workers pulled 14-day-old Azra Karaduman from the rubble of an apartment building nearly 48 hours after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake devastated the country on October 23. The baby girl’s mother and grandmother also made it out of the wreckage alive.

November:
Nov 1 – The U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution reaffirming "In God We Trust" as the official motto of the United States. It passed by a vote of 396-9.

Nov 18 – "Opera" Scientists reported that they had again clocked neutrinos moving faster than the speed of light, confirming the results of experiments revealed two months prior.

December:
Dec 20 - The U.S. federal government asked scientists not to release the methods they used to develop a version of the bird flu that could be transmitted to humans, lest bioterrorists make use of the information.

Dec 22 - Fifteen-year-old "Wati" made her way back to her home and family seven years after she was swept away by the Indian Ocean tsunami the day after Christmas in 2004. She had been "adopted" by a woman who made her beg since she was eight-years-old. After seven years, she was able to leave and try to find her way home. She arrived in the nearby city of Meulaboh on Wednesday and told staff at the Simpang Pelor cafe that she was trying to get home. "When I saw my mother," she said, "I knew it was her. I just knew."

We look forward to the new year in 2012, and we anticipate that despite all the doomsayers, the world will not end this next year. There is still a great deal that God our Savior is ready to do in our lives and in the world. No matter how the November elections go.

That was 2011. The year that was.

There were some prophetically relevant things that were left off of that list though. Personally, I would've added a reminder about the Gabrielle Giffords story, potential 'Rapture proof' after Scientists claim that they can teleport DNA, the mass conditioning via the whole 'UFO Over Jerusalem' buzz (and this related international story), the American missionaries who were tragically killed by Somali pirates, the warranted controversy over false teachers like Rob Bell and his Love Wins book and twisted theology, the Royal Wedding and all its possible prophetic implications, the need for spiritual discernment following the Harold Camping fiasco, the odd popularity (and spiritual implications) of 'Planking' and 'Owling' as well as 'Tebowing', NASA's swan song for the Space Shuttle fleet, the debt ceiling crisis, the Comet Elenin harbinger, and more advances toward ecumenism too.

Now, if we look forward to 2012, then this is what we have as 'potential prophetic triggers' according to JD3 from the Acceleration blog...

=========== TIMELINE ===========

Dec. 31/Jan. 1 - GRAIL moon orbit
Jan. 4 - Quadrantid meteor shower, in constellation Draco (Dragon)
Jan. 6 - Joan of Arc born 600 years ago
Jan. 6-19 - Phobos-Grunt crash landing
Jan. 13-22 - Winter Youth Olympic Games
Feb. 5 - Super Bowl 46
Feb. 6 - Eva Braun born 100 years ago
Feb. 6 - Smash debut
Feb. 7 - Charles Dickens born 200 years ago
Feb. 7 - SpaceX Dragon launch
Apr. 15 - 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic
Apr. 21 - Queen Elizabeth II's birthday
May 19 - Olympic Torch Relay begins, Land's End
May 20 - Solar eclipse
Jun. 2-5 - Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee
Jun. 5-6 - Transit of Venus
Jun. 21 - Summer Solstice ... Prince William BD
Jul. 4 - U.S. Independence Day
Jul. 4 - 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland
Jul. 15 - Moon occults Jupiter
Jul. 21 - Dark Knight Rises released
Jul. 23 - 50th anniversary of first ever satellite broadcast
Jul. 27 - XXX Olympiad Opening Ceremonies
Aug. 3 - Total Recall film released
Aug 5 - 50 anniversary of the death of Marilyn Monroe
Aug. 6 - Curiosity lands on Mars
Aug. 12 - XXX Olympiad Closing Ceremonies
Oct. 5 - 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first single, "Love Me Do"
Oct. 14 - 50th anniversary of U.S.-Cuban Missile Crisis
Nov. 1 - Completion of the Sistine chapel painting 500 years ago
Nov. 13 - Solar eclipse
Dec. 21 - Mayan calendar "ends"

Yes, so much of that is subjective on our part and highly speculative, but it's all still worth noting I think as we look ahead to 2012. Truth is, there is so much we don't really have to speculate about. For instance, the current situation in the Persian Gulf/Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the rest of the world comes to mind, and that's a 'potential prophetic trigger' that could quite easily have a domino effect and set the whole thing in motion any day now. So, as previously mentioned, keep looking up!

What about you though? What do you think was the most 'prophetically relevant event' to occur in 2011? Or, like Russ Dizdar recently asked on his Facebook page, what one word would you choose to describe 2011?

Grace and peace unto you and yours.

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Posted in: America In Prophecy,Black Horse,Economic Signs,Four Horsemen,Holidays,How Close Are We?,Media,Political Signs,Prophecy Basics,Red Horse,Seven Seals,White Horse

The 2012 US Presidential Election And Daniel 2:21

With 2011 set to expire in a few days, and the prospects of another US Presidential Election before us in just a few months, I thought it would be a good time to remind ourselves of some immutable truths.

Namely, the undeniable truth that the Lord is sovereign -- not Satan, not man, not a political party, not a politician, and not the electorate. Nothing takes Him by surprise. Nothing. Oh yeah, and only He can save this country and those souls who live here.

Believe it or not, God gives us not only the leaders we deserve, but precisely those leaders who He uses to help fulfill His perfect plans for humanity.

In other words, He establishes the various world leaders at exactly the right time in world history so that they might ultimately contribute to fulfilling end times prophecy to the letter.

Daniel 2:21 (ESV) He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;

Our Lord, the King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16) is a kingmaker.

I thought about that quite a bit today with the New Year upon us, with the constant debate over numerous Republican presidential candidates all around us lately, and since I turned on the radio during my drive in to work yesterday and heard an interview with an author who wrote a biography about Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

It's interesting because I took some time to go back to all the commentaries I wrote and published here at LUF on President Barack Obama's election in late 2008, and I instantly noticed a couple of things.

For starters, I was much more passionate about politics back then. That's not to say that I am apathetic now, or that I discourage Christians from participating in the government, but I think the Holy Spirit has definitely matured me and my understanding of God's sovereignty and what that means as far as our involvement in and response to the governing authorities is concerned (1 Kings 3:9; Romans 13:1).

In addition, it's clear to me looking back, that all the shock and surprise over Obama's election (even from me) was unwarranted. I mean, after all, if I truly believe that we are in the midst of the prophesied last days, and that we are standing on the edge of the 'beginning of the end' (or 'Daniel's 70th Week', the Tribulation and Great Tribulation), then I should've expected that Obama would 'defy' all evidence and logic as to why he shouldn't become President because he was the 'perfect' candidate to become US President in the sense that what he's done (is doing) to this country and the rest of the world fits nicely within our understanding of what to expect from eschatology.

I have to say that I honestly didn't think we'd be here to see the 2012 Election. Sure, anything can happen between now and next November, but the way in which the world has been going from 2008 until the present day, I'm extremely surprised that I'm even writing about the possibility of a new US President or a second term for President Obama.

In hindsight, I'm not sure why I didn't expect that either.

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Thank God for that truth, huh? It means that since that time, since 2008 when I was feeling that way, countless numbers of people received the Gospel unto salvation! Thank God I was 'wrong' about my subjective analysis of the approximate timing for the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Even so, that doesn't mean that God's Word can't be trusted. It will all happen precisely as He says it will happen. That was a full 3 years ago too. We are 3 years closer to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy on an unimaginable level. Things are certainly heating up too as we continue to see a dramatic increase in not only the frequency of signs, but also a dramatic increase in the intensity of the signs. For proof, please spend a few minutes marveling over God's use of Comet Lovejoy to get our attention (HERE and HERE).

With that in mind, I wanted to point out a few things I noticed about each major presidential candidate that seems to offer us some clues as to how the Lord might use that person within the grand scheme of things, since their connection to Bible prophecy should be apparent to the point where it helps us answer the common question 'Where Is America In Bible Prophecy?' too.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA (2ND TERM):
-- Clearly, another term for our current President would mean 'more of the same' for us. In fact, we might expect a 'quickening' of sorts as he applies even more pressure to the gas pedal, so to speak, and drives this nation deeper into the ground to the point where we are removed from any kind of level of prominence on the world stage whatsoever. With the comparisons to pre-Nazi Germany warranted, perhaps he will be exposed and revealed for who he really is if he were to win a second term. Then again, might we see the 'Shattered Union' scenario, or the 'End Game' played, or something similar to what was suggested in the 5-part 'Bye, Bye Miss American Pie' series maybe? Time will tell.



PRESIDENT MITT ROMNEY:
-- Gosh, the Mormon angle is so tough to ignore, isn't it? First, it was as if Glenn Beck paved the way for him by making Mormonism mainstream in America. Now, one has to wonder if a Mormon US President is likely to be our future given the current state of the so-called 'Alien/UFO' agenda and Satanic deception. Before you get all flustered and think I'm getting sidetracked here, I would like to remind you of the UNDENIABLE LINK between Mormonism and the so-called 'Alien Gospel' we've tried to expose tirelessly throughout the past 3 years here at LUF. Given the fact that so many of us truly believe that a 'Full Disclosure' - 'Alien/UFO Attack' - 'Fake Rapture' scenario is imminent, and that it fits so nicely within the movement to establish a New World Order (a.k.a. prophesied One World Government), isn't it more than a little 'coincidental' that the leading candidate within the Republican Party just happens to be a devout member of a false religion that believes in various un-Biblical 'Alien/Extraterrestrial' themes? And yet, he is forever touted as the 'best Christian candidate in the field' let alone endorsed by numerous 'Christian' religious leaders in America. Why is that? Of course, that was a rhetorical question. Should a Christian vote for a Mormon President? You might want to prayerfully consider the shocking truth should a Mormon become US President.



PRESIDENT NEWT GINGRICH:
-- This possibility is really the most intriguing one, IMHO. With Gingrich you have a guy who has been called a 'Hawk' or a 'Neo-Con', which would certainly connect to the infamous Red Horse from the Book of Revelation (Revelation 6:4). Besides, it was only a few days ago when the Gingrich campaign released their 'Victory Or Death' promo video. Furthermore, and along those same lines, you have a man who is not afraid of discussing his views on having a major presence in space let alone developing and using 'Star Wars' type weaponry in the theater of war! That being said, not only does a President Newt Gingrich make me think about the Red Horse and the 'Alien/UFO' Satanic agenda, but also about the creation and stockpiling of cutting-edge weapons to use on a planetary scale, much like we all expect the forces of the Antichrist to do in the run-up to the Battle of Armageddon. [LUF NOTE: I'm not suggesting he's a candidate to become the prophesied Antichrist, but just that his ideas coincide with those we suspect the Antichrist will have...]


PRESIDENT RON PAUL:
-- This prospect is probably the most obvious to everyone. It's no secret that while Ron Paul does have some very strong domestic and economic policies he would like to implement, the truth of the matter is that his foreign policy is dangerous and naive. However, it's his stance regarding Israel that I think should concern all of us the most. You know, we've always wondered how the US could stand on the sidelines when her staunch ally Israel is attacked just as end times prophecy tells us it will be. We've assumed that the Rapture, or internal chaos and strife, maybe even the aftermath of an attack upon our nation, would be the main reason(s) keeping us from intervening. Once President Obama showed his true colors toward Israel, we then had another option as to why the US suddenly had a 'non-intervention' foreign policy over there. Sure, those things could still be the culprit under the sovereign guidance of the Lord, but just as likely a culprit is a Ron Paul presidency; an administration that would not support its ally and friend if it were attacked with a nuclear bomb by Iran! Plus, the latest revelation from an ex-staffer (yeah, I know, take what he says with a grain of salt) indicates that a President Paul might not care if a Jewish state existed in the Middle East or not! And that, if true, is from a supposedly devout Christian. In fact, it is argued that Ron Paul believed that the US had no business getting involved in fighting Adolf Hitler either! See what I mean though? But I readily admit that this could be the Mainstream Media establishment's big attempt to discredit Paul ahead of the primaries because they recognize his popularity (and threat). After all, Ron Paul is not anti-Semitic because he was the only one who defended Israel's right to strike Iraq's nuclear facility in 1981 if I'm remembering my history correctly. If he was truly anti-Semitic, he never would've taken that position. It's likely that his 'isolationist' foreign policy views are simply the product of having witness the collusion of Big Business-Big Government-Big Military for so long while also witnessing several war fronts spring up in recent years.

Bottom line, each major candidate presents a unique set of scenarios that are certainly prophetically relevant.

The single, common thread linking each candidate though is the state of Israel and each candidate's perspective on how they believe we should handle our relationship with them.

Specifically, it will be their views on what the rest of the non-believing world thinks is merely a 'land dispute' that will determine their presidential prospects in this country (Joel 3:1-2; 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

I know that there are other candidates out there. I also realize that there are so many unforeseen variables that could dramatically alter the political landscape overnight.

Personally, and I'm not even sure why I feel this way because there's absolutely no basis for it whatsoever, but I keep having this feeling that either Herman Cain, or someone who's not even on our radar, or in the polls, at the moment (like a Jon Huntsman let's say), could emerge out of nowhere to become an instant contender and frontrunner. A guy like Rick Santorum also comes to mind, and wearing my 'Symbolism Study' hat I can't shake the Pennsylvania connection either. Highly subjective, yes, I know. Time will tell.

Still, just looking at what God has presented to us so far, I think it's crystal clear that any one of these men would move us that much farther along God's prophetic timeline were they to win the election.

We don't need a study like this to prove that. God's Word already guarantees it (Daniel 2:21). Let us remember that. With that in mind, we might want to start thinking about whether or not we should vote for the 'lesser of two evils', or simply not vote at all.

My dear friends, I pray that it's obvious that if you live to see another US President (or another term for our current one) that it will be directly in line with God's plans for us and the rest of the world.

How can it not be?

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Posted in: America In Prophecy,How Close Are We?,Media,New World Order,One World Government,Poligion,Political Signs,Prophecy Basics,Spiritual Deception,Symbolism,Why Study Prophecy?

When Christmas Brings Out The Worst In Christians

What happens when Christmas brings out the worst in Christians?

Galatians 5:22-23 goes out the window and the Body of Christ attacks itself from within like a cancer. It's a shame we've come to this, but that is almost always what happens when Christmas brings out the worst in Christians.

Even so, the past few days have been a blessing to me. You'd think that having to read criticism after criticism would be difficult, but we Christians should always be mindful that maybe, just maybe, God is using others to get our attention (Proverbs 10:17; Proverbs 12:1; Proverbs 15:32; 2 Timothy 3:16).

As always, whenever my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ call me to task for something I've written I immediately take it all under prayerful consideration. What does that mean exactly? Well, it means starting with prayer.

I prayed that the Lord would show me if I am wrong about what I've written on this subject. If wrong, then at least He can help me apologize, help me to admit to where I need to correct my mistakes, and help me to be able to ask for forgiveness from Him and others. If correct, then He can help me to gracefully restate and resubmit my position in a different way in the hopes that it will finally 'click' with those who remain in fierce opposition.

In any event, this was my prayer from a few days ago in response to all the criticism generated by my Christmas message that was published here...

Lord, thank YOU for the Holy Scriptures! To think that we have some insight into YOUR mind and YOUR will preserved for us in an easily accessible Book is truly humbling. To think that far too many of us choose to ignore it on a regular basis is truly heartbreaking. Even though I am a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15), YOU know that I still struggle with feeding myself YOUR Word as often as I should (Matthew 4:4). Still, looking back at this past year (the past few months especially!), I am confident that even though our time spent together hasn't been as much as I would've liked it to be, YOU still used that time we spent together to prove the truthfulness of YOUR Word to me (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 1:6). YOU know my heart. YOU know my mind. YOU know my true desires and intentions. YOU know how seriously I take this responsibility that YOU have given to me. I know that Look Up Fellowship and the community of believers who regularly visit are YOURS and not mine. YOU know I have absolutely no misconceptions about my role in all of this. No matter the personal cost, I will continue to serve YOU here for as long as YOU want me to (Galatians 1:10; John 13:16; John 15:20). I pray for YOUR guidance in regards to how I should respond both privately and publicly (if at all) to all of this criticism in response to the message I wrote and published a few days ago about YOUR Son Jesus Christ's birth (Proverbs 3:5; Proverbs 12:1; Proverbs 15:32; 2 Timothy 3:16). Please prepare all hearts and minds before they arrive here at this humble online ministry, and please elevate YOUR words over my own so that they are the words that people are impacted by and the words that people remember. I plead with you to please teach me YOUR truths so that I may share the truth YOU have taught me with others for YOUR glory, honor, and praise and never my own. I plead with you to please keep me from leading YOUR sheep astray (Jeremiah 50:6). I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

That's about as personal as I want to get with this piece.

My stance was never about 'just asking questions' for the sake of causing confusion or doubt? My goodness, we have a common enemy who operates like that and who did so from the very beginning (Genesis 3:1). Furthermore, my name's not Rob Bell either.



My stance was about saying, "If God's Word says this (which seems to support your position), and God's Word says that (which seems to support my position), and both seem to contradict each other, we know that God's Word does not contradict itself, so what are we missing from the totality of Scripture that will help us reconcile this with that, and that will ultimately help us settle this debate?" and that's all.

I've been accused of taking God's Word 'out of context' and/or 'cherry-picking' verses to support my position. It's charges like that which sadden me deeply because I often wonder how anyone who actually took the time to read (and then prayerfully consider) what I carefully wrote over the course of several days, in full, and with their Bible open and by their side the whole time so they could apply Acts 17:11, could possibly think that. I just don't get it.

No one's 'ignoring' the Old Testament. No one's rejecting Sola Scriptura. We're just looking at the TOTALITY OF SCRIPTURE to come to an understanding of God's Word like we should. Why? Well, because we know that God's Word never contradicts itself.

So, if we find something in the Old Testament that supports one point and then discover something in the New Testament that seems to conflict, the perceived 'conflict' is only due to our own limited understanding.

Truth is, they won't contradict each other once you examine both pieces of the Biblical text under a TOTALITY OF SCRIPTURE framework, right? So, the belief that a Christian is committing a sin by celebrating Christmas (or any holiday for that matter) if the celebration is done with Romans 14:5-6 in mind is a fallacy.

"But Jeff! That passage is taken out of context because it's about eating or not eating to the Lord!" Right. And then we combine the truth of Romans 14:5-6 with the truths found in 1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17, Colossians 3:23 and we get a more complete understanding, don't we? I mean, "whatever you do" is pretty clear, isn't it? Remember, it's about the TOTALITY OF SCRIPTURE we're after here.

So, the belief that a Christian is more obedient and/or more spiritual by not celebrating Christmas (or any holiday for that matter) is also a fallacy because of what we know from Isaiah 64:6. I mean, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" is pretty definitive too, isn't it? My point? Christians should not be attacking each other over whether or not we should be celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior.

If we believe God's Word like we say that we do, then how in the world can we engage in this despicable treatment of one another year after year?

Romans 14:19 (KJV) Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

Sorry, I'm starting to get 'fleshly', and personal, and sidetracked here and I didn't want to do that. Sorry about that.

In fact, I want you all to know that this is the third version of this post that I've written. The first version was basically my personal response, my personal plea to all of my dear brothers and sisters, after reading all the comments. However, that was more 'fleshly' than anything and served no good whatsoever.

The second version was a mix of my own personal response and a Bible study that I firmly believe the Holy Spirit led me to in an answer to my prayers over this. However, once again, the fleshly component bothered me because it's not about defending myself, but about defending God's Word by merely pointing out what it says.

So, that led me to this third and final version. In the rest of this entry, I am going to simply present to you a Bible study complete with a verse-by-verse analysis so as to deflect any charges of being 'out of context' and/or 'cherry-picking' verses to make my case.

Please note that I'm going to refrain from pointing out how and why this particular portion of the text (and the accompanying exegesis) directly relates to this present debate over Christmas. Instead, I'm just going to let the Word of God speak for itself.

I truly believe the Holy Spirit led me to do a Bible study on Galatians (mainly Galatians 2) as a direct and powerful answer to my prayers about this topic. I hope that you will leave here today feeling the same way. Let's take a look at God's perspective.

BIBLE STUDY: GALATIANS 2

CULTURAL / HISTORICAL CONTEXT

-- Paul's entire epistle to the Galatians can be appropriately called 'The Gospel vs. Religion' with special attention to the theme of Paul's counteracting the thinking and methods of the Judaizing religionists who had infiltrated the region of Galatia.

-- If Galatians is the earliest of Paul's epistles (which it is), then it could and should serve as the penultimate snapshot of Paul's nascent theology. These original thoughts might be regarded as foundational to the interpretation of all the rest of Paul's writings. If Paul's striking conversion on the road to Damascus is dated in 34 or 35 A.D., then Paul obviously had sufficient time in 14-15 years to be taught of the Spirit and to develop a well-formed Christian theological understanding that was radically and diametrically different from his previous Judaic theological training.

-- Paul had obviously planted these churches (Galatians 1:8,11; Galatians 4:19,20), and the Christians in the churches had a great fondness and appreciation for Paul as their founding father (Galatians 4:14-15). Sometime (the interval of time is unknown, but it would appear not to be an extended period - cf. Galatians 1:6) after Paul had departed from their cities, having left designated men in charge as leaders/teachers, some other teachers arrived with a modified belief-system that inculcated adherence to the Judaic law of the old covenant. It is difficult to reconstruct the precise identity of these people, but it is obvious that they were advocating the necessity of religious observances (Galatians 4:10), as well as male circumcision (Galatians 5:2; Galatians 6:12), and attempting to seduce these new Christians into legalistic old covenant concepts (Galatians 3:2; Galatians 4:21).

-- Paul's reaction to this decimation of the Gospel of grace by reversion to religious legalism is a passionate defense for what he considered to be of eternal consequence. Paul comes out firing and he pulls no punches.

-- Paul was not about to stand by and allow the new Christian believers in Galatia to be deceived, defiled, and duped by the religious accoutrements of the Judaizing false teachers. Without any comments of praise, commendation or thanksgiving, Paul faces the issue of the misrepresentation of the Gospel with a forceful fervor that some have referred to as 'explosive', 'dynamite', and 'warlike' even.

-- The Gospel that Paul had preached to the Galatians was the "good news" of God's grace in Jesus Christ. It was a liberating message that emphasized God's action in accord with His divine character, taking the initiative to do everything necessary on man's behalf to restore mankind to God's created functional intent.

-- All of man's attempts to reach God, appease God, and perform in a manner pleasing to God ­(the essence of religion throughout the history of man) ­were now passé and unnecessary. There was no need for religious conformity to traditions, or for obedience to law-based rules and regulations such as "thou shalt..." and "thou shalt not..." God has done everything that needed doing in the "finished work" (cf. John 19:30), and by the provision of His presence in receptive mankind by the person of Jesus Christ and the power of the Spirit, God continues by His grace to enable and empower the Christian believer to manifest His character and minister to others.

-- Such was the Gospel of grace and liberty that Paul had preached to the Galatians, and such was the spiritual reality that formed the basis of their Christian community as a church.

-- So, when Paul was informed that foreign infiltrators had influenced the young Galatian Christians to revert to the performance of religious legalism, he was so angry that he was compelled to write and set things straight. In this confrontational letter, he clearly points out the key difference between the Gospel of Jesus Christ that he had introduced them to, and the religious trappings of behavioral bondage that these subversive intruders were trying to impose upon them.

-- An underlying sub-theme of the epistle might be entitled, 'The Gospel vs. Religion', as previously mentioned. Though Paul does not use the word 'religion' in the text of the letter, it is obvious that the performance-based 'works' that the new Galatian Christians are being asked to add to the pure and simple Gospel of grace in Jesus Christ is indeed the essence of all religion. This comprehensive theme thus becomes the lens through which the various details of the letter must be interpreted.


GALATIANS 2:1-21 (ESV)

Paul Accepted By The Apostles

1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

Paul Opposes Peter

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Justified By Faith

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.


CHAPTER 2 VERSE-BY-VERSE ANALYSIS

-- Verse 1: Titus was a spiritual child of Paul and a co-worker. As an uncircumcised Gentile, Titus was fitting proof of the effectiveness and truthfulness of Paul's ministry.

-- Verse 2: Paul refers to the divine commissioning of his visit in order to refute any suggestion by the Judaizers that they had sent Paul to Jerusalem to have the apostles correct his doctrine.

-- Verse 3: At the core of the Judaizer's works-based system was the Mosaic prescription of circumcision. They were teaching that there could be no salvation without circumcision.

-- Verse 4: The Judaizers, pretended to be true Christians. Yet, their doctrine, because it claimed allegiance to Christ, was opposed to traditional Judaism, and because it demanded circumcision and obedience to the Mosaic law as prerequisites for salvation, was opposed to Christianity. The Judaizers were actually Satan's undercover agents sent into the midst of the church to sabotage the true Gospel. Christians are free from the law as a means of salvation, from its external ceremonial regulations as a way of living, and from its curse for disobedience to the law - a curse that Christ bore for all believers (Galatians 3:13). This freedom is not, however, a license to sin (Galatians 5:13; Romans 6:18; 1 Peter 2:16).

-- Verse 5: Paul and Titus never budged from their position of salvation by grace alone through faith alone. The true Gospel as opposed to the different (Galatians 1:6-8) and false one propagated by the Judaizers.

-- Verse 6: The unique privileges of the 12 did not make their apostleship more legitimate or authoritative than Paul's because Christ commissioned them all (Romans 2:11).

-- Verse 7: The Judaizers claimed Paul was preaching a deviant Gospel, but the apostles confirmed that he proclaimed the true Gospel. It was the same Gospel Peter proclaimed, but to a different audience.

-- Verse 8: The Holy Spirit, who has but one Gospel, empowered both Peter and Paul in their ministries.

-- Verse 9: The only conclusion these leaders could make was that God's grace was responsible for the powerful preaching of the Gospel and the building of the church through Paul's efforts. This verse is also a recognition of Paul as a teacher of the true Gospel, and further confirmation of Paul's divine call to ministry. It was a blow to the Judaizers, since the apostles directed him to continue in his already flourishing ministry to the Gentiles.

-- Verse 10: A practical reminder for Paul and the growing ranks of Gentile Christians.

-- Verse 11 (12-13): A brief account of the darkest days in the history of the Gospel. By withdrawing from the Gentile believers to fellowship with the Judaizers who held a position he knew was wrong, Peter had in appearance supported their doctrine and nullified Paul's divine teaching, especially the doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Better translated, "stood condemned" instead. Peter was guilty of sin by aligning himself with men he knew to be in error and because of the harm and confusion he caused his Gentile brethren.

-- Verse 12: Peter, knowing the decision the Jerusalem Council had made, (Acts 15:7-29), had been in Antioch for some time, eating with Gentiles. When Judaizers came, pretending to be sent by James, they lied, giving false claims of support from the apostles. Peter had already given up all Mosaic ceremony (Acts 10:9-22) and James had at times held only to some of it (Acts 21:18-26). The Greek term for the word 'withdrew' refers to strategic military withdrawal. The verb's form may imply that Peter's withdrawal was gradual and deceptive. To eat with the Judaizers and decline invitations to eat with the Gentiles, which he had previously done, meant that Peter was affirming the very dietary restrictions he knew God had abolished (Acts 10:15) and thus striking a blow at the Gospel of grace. What was the true motivation behind Peter's defection? Paul gives us the answer. He was afraid of losing popularity with the legalistic, Judaizing segment of people in the church, even though they were self-righteous hypocrites promoting a heretical doctrine.

-- Verse 13: The Jewish believers in Antioch. The Greek word for 'hypocrite' refers to an actor who wore a mask to depict a mood or certain character. In the spiritual sense, it refers to someone who masks his true character by pretending to be something he is not (cf. Matthew 6:1-6). They were committed to the Gospel of grace, but pretended to accept Jewish legalism.

-- Verse 14: By withdrawing from the Gentile Christians, Peter and the other Jewish believers were not walking in line with God's Word. Before his gradual withdrawal, Peter regularly had fellowship and ate with the Gentiles, thus modeling the ideal of Christian love and liberty between Jew and Gentile. By his Judaizing mandate, he was declaring theirs was the right way.

-- Verse 15: Paul's rebuke of Peter serves as one of the most dynamic statements in the New Testament on the absolute and unwavering necessity of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith. Peter's apparent repentance acknowledged Paul's apostolic authority and his own submission to the truth (cf. 2 Peter 3:15-16).

-- Verse 16: Three times in this verse Paul declares that salvation is only through faith in Christ and not by law. Keeping the law is a totally unacceptable means of salvation because the root of sinfulness is in the fallenness of man's heart, not his actions. The law served as a mirror to reveal sin, not a cure for it (Galatians 3:22-24; Romans 7:7-13; 1 Timothy 1:8-11).

-- Verse 17: If the Judaizer's doctrine was correct, then Paul, Peter, Barnabas, and the other Jewish believers fell back into the category of sinners because they had been eating and fellowshiping with Gentiles, who according to the Judaizers were unclean. If the Judaizers were right, then Christ was wrong and had been teaching people to sin because He taught that food could not contaminate a person (Mark 7:19; Acts 10:13-15). He also declared that all who belong to Him are one with Him and therefore each other (John 17:21-23). Paul's airtight logic condemned Peter, because by his actions he had, in effect, made it appear as if Christ was lying. This thought is utterly objectionable and causes Paul to use the strongest Greek negative ('certainly not').

-- Verse 18: The false system of salvation through legalism, done away with by the preaching of salvation by grace alone through faith alone.

-- Verse 19: When a person is convicted of a capital crime and executed, the law has no further claim on him. So it is with the Christian who has died in Christ (who paid the penalty for his sins in full) and rises to new life in Him - justice has been satisfied and he is forever free from any further penalty.

-- Verse 20: When a person trusts in Christ for salvation, he spiritually participates with the Lord in His crucifixion and His victory over sin and death. The believer's old self is dead, having been crucified with Christ. The believer's new man has the privilege of the indwelling Christ empowering him and living through him.

-- Verse 21: Paul concluded that Peter, by taking his stand with the Judaizers and thus against Christ, was, in effect, denying the need for God's grace and thereby nullifying the benefit of Christ's death. Those who insist that we can earn salvation by their own efforts undermine the foundation of Christianity and render unnecessary the death of Christ.


CLOSING OBSERVATIONS

-- (Galatians 3:3) The notion that sinful, weak (Matthew 26:41; Romans 6:19), fallen human nature could somehow improve upon the saving work of the Holy Spirit was ludicrous to Paul.

-- (Galatians 3:6) Even the Old Testament teaches justification by faith and not be what we do or what we don't do.

-- (Galatians 4:10) The rituals, ceremonies, and festivals of the Jewish religious calendar that God had given, but that were never required for the church. Paul warns the Galatians, as he did the Colossians, against legalistically observing them as if they were 'required' by God or could somehow earn favor with Him. The alternate is just as true. Legalistically observing them as if they were 'forbidden' by God and that a complete rejection of them could somehow earn favor with Him is equally wrong.

[NOTE: Please CLICK HERE for additional commentary on Galatians]

I pray that the parallels to this debate are obvious. I pray that we will all prayerfully consider whether we've been more like Paul or more like Peter throughout this disagreement. I pray that this Bible study helps all of us find some common ground as believers in Christ Jesus.

I strongly encourage you to read the remaining chapters of that Epistle. Galatians should serve Christians in every age by inspiring reformation and restoration that sets Christians free from religious behaviorism, denominationalism, formalism, fundamentalism, legalism, moralism, traditionalism, etc., in order that they might appreciate the freedom of God's grace in Jesus Christ.

Let it be noted, however, that since this epistle inevitably challenges the 'status quo' of static religion, it is almost impossible to exegete and expound this portion of Scripture accurately without raising the ire of those who have a vested interest in such religion. For proof of such a reality, please check back later and spend some time in the Comments Section.

As James A. Fowler beautifully noted...

The abiding value of Paul's correspondence with the Galatians is that it perpetually reveals the propensity of mankind to revert to performance-based acceptance before God in religion, rather than accepting the ontological dynamic of God's grace in Jesus Christ to manifest divine character to the glory of God. Whenever a Christian begins to think that the performance standards of what they "do" or "don't do" is the basis of or the quality of their Christian life or their "spirituality," then they have lapsed into 'Galatian' thinking. "If only I didn't smoke, drink, swear, or fall into my besetting sin; If only I prayed more, read my Bible more, witnessed more, was more regular in church attendance, got along better with my spouse, or was a better parent..., then I would be a better Christian and would be more blessed by God." No! That is Galatian thinking, that evaluates Christian life by achievement, merit, and reward, rather than by constant receptive trust in the grace-working of God in Christ. Such 'Galatianism' is so pervasive and prevalent in the churches today as the religious legalists have duped Christians with the didactic declarations of 'how-to' Christianity in prescribed procedures, formulas, techniques and duties which allegedly determine the distinguishing marks of a true disciple. Like Paul, we must reject such as a false-gospel, and clearly explain that the only distinguishing mark of a genuine Christian is the manifestation of the life and activity of Jesus Christ in his or her life by the dynamic of God's grace.

So it was in Paul's day, so it is today, and so it will be until Christ returns to reign as King of kings.

Grace and peace unto you and yours.

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Posted in: America In Prophecy,Apostasy,Bible Study,Great Commission,Holidays,How Close Are We?,Moral Decline,Prophecy Basics,Sola Scriptura,Spiritual Deception,Spiritual Growth,Witnessing

Mixing The 'Holy' With The 'Profane' Is What Christmas Is All About, Isn't It?

Another year, another Christmas. I'll open with the same questions I ended 2010 with.

Who would be most pleased by someone saying, 'I am NOT going to do a single thing at all to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ into this world through the womb of a virgin just as God proclaimed would happen -- never ever!' especially if that person was also a professing Christian? Who would be most pleased by such an adamant pronouncement each year, which not only denies Christ's Advent, but also His Second Coming? God or Satan?

I'll temper that by saying that I firmly believe that Romans 14:14 (amongst other passages of the text) clearly allow Christians to determine what's best for them when it comes to celebrating Christmas. I just more or less wanted to lead with a somewhat inflammatory remark to illustrate a key point and to set-up our journey together today.

Looking back, I really can't say that my position has changed at all from a year ago, which is why I strongly encourage you to carefully and prayerfully read 'Christ, Christians, And Christmas' followed by 'The Difference May Be Indifference' because both were truly a labor of love for Him in all their comprehensiveness on this topic.

This year, I wondered why it is that we seem to know all the demonic, occult, pagan, Satanic things associated with this time of year as if we are experts on the subject (and all in the name of "exposing the darkness of deceit" consistent with Ephesians 5:11 and Matthew 10:16 I'm sure), but we don't seem to possess the same kind of knowledge when it comes to the holy, religious, redeeming, and spiritual aspects associated with this time of year?

Why is that? Doesn't that concern you? It should. It concerned me enough to continuing pursuing this particular path even if I ultimately end up on an unpopular one.

I will start by cutting to the chase. It's a point that I will keep referring to over and over again today. The title of this post already gave it away.

There's something potentially significant that I'm wondering about. There's something pertaining to those who were alive in Jesus' time.

I imagine they had trouble (actually, we know they had trouble) accepting Jesus Christ as the Son of God because of sin, yes, but also because some of them just couldn't understand why a "holy" and "sinless" God would incarnate Himself in a "fallen", "unholy", and "sinful" human body (Mark 10:45; 2 Corinthians 5:21). It's because sin is the reason for the season.

I bring that up because it seems to correlate quite nicely with this entire debate, doesn't it? I mean, those who oppose the celebration of Christmas will often cite all the verses from the Bible about mixing the "holy" with the "profane".

Forgive me, but isn't that what the birth of Jesus Christ is all about? Isn't the virgin birth a mixing of a holy God with an unholy human body? Isn't that the very essence of the thing we celebrate during this (or any other time of the year) as a fundamental tenet of our shared faith?

So what's the problem then? Why the constant debate? Why the protest? Why the incessant hand-wringing over the celebration of Christmas?

Absolutely central to our cherished faith is the deity of Jesus Christ and His virgin, sinless birth into this world as a "God Man" who would be our Lord and Savior.

It makes perfect sense to celebrate this fundamental truth each year because the alternative is losing the proper modicum of respect for, and losing sight of, Him and what He did for us. But I'll even go one step further by pulling something from last year's Christmas entry.

For the past several months, we've spent a lot of time examining what it means to call God "sovereign" as the Scriptures tell it. As students of end times Bible prophecy, we recognize how there are those in numerous power structures around the world who are either wittingly or unwittingly serving Satan by their actions. Yet, we never for a single second would suggest that any of that is occurring free and separate from God's prophetic timeline for humanity. God uses us (His creation) as His human instruments much like He used human instruments as His pen to write the divinely inspired Scriptures. We might also want to think about the places where we read about God hardening the hearts of people.

So why are we ok with applying God's sovereign control to some things, but not to others? Once again, this whole controversy seems to come back to the Sovereignty of God. Because we've lost the proper understanding of our relationship to God (Psalm 111:10), we have trouble properly understanding these topics. That's my contention here.

I think the most compelling argument in defense of Christians who do want to celebrate Christmas each year on December 25th (aside from everything that was just presented) is THE RECOGNITION OF OUR SOVEREIGN GOD'S ORCHESTRATING THE CELEBRATION OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST IN LATE DECEMBER, AND AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE PAGAN RELIGIONS CELEBRATED THEIR FALSE GODS (I.E. SATURNALIA), AS A BEAUTIFUL COMMENTARY THAT HE WAS CHOOSING CHRIST, OVER ALL THE OTHER GODS BEING WORSHIPPED AT THE TIME, TO FULFILL HIS PLANS FOR HUMANITY. This argument is underscored (and strengthened) when you consider that He did THE VERY SAME THING with Jesus' Resurrection, which took place at the same time that the non-believers were celebrating their other false gods during the Spring too.

I mean, it wasn't until the 12th Century, or some 800 years after December 25th was instituted as the Advent date by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century, that people began to suggest that he was heavily influenced to do so by pagan customs as opposed to the truth that it was due to the early church fathers. Again, even if you want to dispute that, we MUST NOT REMOVE THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD from this equation just like we wouldn't remove it from any of our studies having to do with these end times and the people who He's using to move us farther along the prophetic timeline today. I'm sorry, but the more I study this topic, the more I prayerfully think about it, the more I'm at peace with the whole thing.

Lastly, the fact that the early church fathers ignored the Scriptures (in the sense that they should've known that Jesus wasn't born in December) and "decided" to institute a holiday that commemorated His birth with already existing pagan customs and practices in honor of false gods shouldn't be pointed to as some kind of "proof" or "Aha! See, I told you! That's why Christians shouldn't celebrate Christmas!" kind of statement.

Why? My dear friends, isn't it obvious? GOD IS SOVEREIGN -- NOT MAN! Nothing happens -- nothing -- apart from His perfect timing, and His perfect will, to fulfill His perfect plans for humanity! Ok, so the early church fathers "decided" to set up a tradition that worshipped Jesus Christ each year that would also coincide with the worship of false gods that those all around them were following. You mean to tell me that you believe that they were able to do such a thing apart from God? If God never wanted that to happen it would never have happened.

Doesn't it make much more sense, given what we know about our Lord and His sovereignty, that He allowed such an event to take place so that the message would be clear to us? That message? "I chose Jesus Christ to be the Savior of mankind -- not Satan's false counterfeits!" (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Hebrews 2:10; Ephesians 1:5).

If we would only remember what we read in Exodus 34:14 amongst other places about God being a "jealous God", then I think it all starts to make even much more sense. It seems to have been a brilliantly and divinely executed event for Him to have set up a holiday that celebrates the birth of His Son Jesus Christ to coincide with the various holidays set up by non-believing men and women to celebrate their "saviors" when, in fact, there is only one true Savior.

I would think that would be more than enough for anyone who disagrees with me to chew on for the time being, but my heart is heavy over the lack of Christian love this time of year within the Body of Christ because of this debate, and so I will continue to press on with today's study for those who care to keep going.

Since we're all pressed for time, I will gladly do my part to try and save you the trouble of reading this entire entry today by also telling you that my stance on Christmas was actually strengthened by The Bethlehem Star presentation published yesterday.

I think we'd all agree that it's hard to argue with what God reveals to us through His marvelous creation (Romans 1:20). By 'hard' I mean to say 'impossible', by the way.

So, it was unexpected (but certainly not surprising) to have the content from Part 5 of that documentary about the position of the Star of Bethlehem on December 25th stand out in such a profound and unmistakable way. I think that should underscore the assertions made so far.

Needless to say, all the arguments against celebrating Christmas aside, I'm wondering, at what point do we just stop and recall that God is sovereign (not Satan; not man), and prayerfully consider that maybe, just maybe, all these truths (please notice I used the word 'truths') about 'pagan traditions' and 'Catholicism's role' are nothing more than cleverly conceived attempts by our common enemy to attack the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox for now. Yet, before we continue, I would like to finish setting the table by giving you a glimpse into my frame of mind whenever these sorts of discussions come up in Christianity.

Of course, they always seem to center around 'Christian liberty', or the freedom we have in Christ, and that helps me to recall some key truths from the Scriptures.

"Christian liberty includes the right to abstain from otherwise legitimate pursuits if one is convinced in his/her own mind that such is the will of God for them personally. In other words, you may fully believe in the truth of Rom. 14:14a, yet choose to abstain anyway. Christian liberty does not include the right to insist that others likewise abstain simply because you do. Far less does it include the right to judge them as sub-spiritual for choosing a different course of action from you."
- Sam Storms


"[Many things] are not specifically condemned by the Scriptures, and thus we must apply other criteria. For example, would these matters cause us to sin, or harm our bodies, or cause a brother to stumble, or tempt us to fall into a pattern we could not control? Clearly if those things occurred, then it would be wrong for us to do them. If not, then we have the liberty to enjoy these activities."
- Curtis C. Thomas


"We do need to guard against making absolutes out of personal standards that are not specified in Scripture, or assuming that others are sinning if they don’t adopt our standards about issues that may not be traps for them. But why are we so prone to defend choices that take us right to the edge of sin, and so reluctant to make radical choices to protect our hearts and minds from sin?"
- Nancy Leigh DeMoss

That's where I'm at right now. That is not to say that I haven't been conflicted at times, or that I haven't given this the proper prayerful consideration and serious thought. I certainly have.

For example, here are some of the commentaries on Christmas that I've written over the years...

2008: Saint Nicholas

2008: Santa Theology

2010: Christ, Christians, And Christmas

2010: The Difference May Be Indifference

There was something I wrote (or may have referenced) in last year's posts that still holds true for me today...

To summarize briefly, I’m convinced by Scripture and conscience that Christians are not obligated to observe Christmas, and that Christians are not obligated to not observe Christmas.

Christmas observance, or non-observance, (just like the observance or non-observance of any other day) plainly falls into the Biblical category of a matter of indifference and liberty (Romans 14-15; Col 2:16-23).

My point in publishing this material isn’t to advocate for, or against, the observance of Christmas (or any other day), but rather to make the case that a.) such things are matters of liberty and conscience in the light of Scripture b.) many of the popular myths surrounding the origins of Christmas, even within the church, are often dubious, and sometimes misleading/false and c.) many of the most strident objections to the observance of Christmas if applied equally and consistently can have far reaching [and quite probably un-Biblical, legalistic] implications in actual practice.

To reiterate, there's something potentially significant that I'm wondering about. There's something pertaining to those who were alive in Jesus' time.

I imagine they had trouble (actually, we know they had trouble) accepting Jesus Christ as the Son of God because of sin, yes, but also because some of them just couldn't understand why a "holy" and "sinless" God would incarnate Himself in a "fallen", "unholy", and "sinful" human body.

I bring that up because it seems to correlate quite nicely with this entire debate, doesn't it? I mean, those who oppose the celebration of Christmas will often cite all the verses from the Bible about mixing the "holy" with the "profane".

Forgive me, but isn't that what the birth of Jesus Christ is all about? Isn't the virgin birth a mixing of a holy God with an unholy human body? Isn't that the very thing we celebrate during this (or any other time of the year) as a fundamental tenet of our shared faith?

So what's the problem then? Why the constant debate? Why the protest? Why the incessant hand-wringing over the celebration of Christmas?

Well, at least you know where I'm coming from now if you didn't already. Moving on.

I'm ashamed to reveal that I've been holding off until the last minute this week to write and publish this annual piece on the celebration of Christmas.

While I always strive to live a life in complete submission to the Holy Spirit, a life that is entirely free from fear and in accordance with a Galatians 1:10 mindset, I'll fully admit that there's a small part of me that thinks the responses to this piece won't be as 'intense' as last year's if I wait until only a day or two before Christmas to share my perspective with everyone.

As I'm sure many of you know (or have experienced firsthand), the so-called 'Culture Wars' in America have evolved to the point where believers in Christ Jesus are no longer merely satisfied with their attempts to 'Keep Christ In Christmas' or to remind the secular world that 'Jesus Is The Reason For The Season', but instead have shifted their focus and now prefer to attack their own.

Things have gotten so out of control (particularly on Facebook) that some people have even suggested that the attacks and rancor from anti-Christmas Christians (against their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who choose to celebrate the holiday) are the 21st Century's version of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

I think a Biblical foundation is necessary before we continue...

Romans 14:5 (ESV) One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

Romans 14:14 (ESV) I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.

Colossians 2:16 (ESV) Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.

No, the Bible does not say anything about Christmas -- or celebrating Jesus Christ's birth each year -- in a specific sense. There is no account of Jesus celebrating his birthday each year, and no historical record of the early Christian Church keeping that annual observance either.

Yes, each person is free to make their own decisions on what is 'right' and 'wrong' for them under the umbrella of 'freedom in Christ', or 'Christian liberty' according to Romans 14:14.

In other words, the holy Scriptures do not explicitly say that a person is going to go to Hell for eternity if they celebrate Christmas (or smoke, or watch certain violent movies and TV shows, or listen to certain questionable kinds of music, etc.).

Ultimately, these things are preferences and partaking in -- and even refraining from -- them does not make one 'more' or 'less' holy/spiritual.

I think a sober-minded foundation is necessary before we continue...

"Millions of perfectly healthy and worthy men and women still keep Christmas; and do in all sincerity keep it holy as well as happy. But there are some, profiting by such natural schemes of play and pleasure-seeking, who have used it for things far baser than either pleasure-seeking or play. They have betrayed Christmas. For them the substance of Christmas, like the substance of Christmas pudding, has become stale stuff in which their own treasure is buried; and they have only multiplied the sixpences into thirty pieces of silver."
- G.K. Chesterton


"This Gospel anticipates a world far different from C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, where it is 'always winter, and never Christmas.' The promise of the Gospel is that it is 'always Christmas.' To be 'in Christ' is to enjoy each morning as a Christmas morning with the family of God, celebrating the gift of God around the tree of life."
- Kevin VanHoozer


"The Puritans in early America rejected Christmas celebrations altogether. They deliberately worked on December 25 to show their disdain. A law passed in England in 1644 reflected a similar Puritan influence; the law made Christmas Day an official working day. For a time in England it was literally illegal to cook plum pudding or mince pie for the holidays. Christians today are generally not opposed to celebrating Christmas. The holiday itself is nothing, and observing it is not a question of right or wrong. As Paul wrote, 'One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God' (Rom 14:5-6). Every day – including Christmas – is a celebration for us who know and love Him."
- John MacArthur

"There is no connection between the worship of idols and the use of Christmas trees. We should not be anxious about baseless arguments against Christmas decorations. Rather, we should be focused on the Christ of Christmas and giving all diligence to remembering the real reason for the season."
- John MacArthur


"Here are some reasons it is okay to celebrate Christmas:

1. The day itself is not really the day Christ was born. Nobody actually has the exact day down, but most believe it was not during this time of year at all.

2. Diversity over the years has taken away much of the 'Romish' flavor to the holiday. Our Catholic friends do as they wish on the night before and the day of Christmas, that is granted. But we do not have a state church. There are so many other ways Christmas is celebrated that no one really thinks about it the way the Puritans did so many years ago. The problem is not so acute because of so many years of varied expressions. At least this is true in our part of the world.

3. God can be honored in gift-giving and generosity as well as in singing carols and telling the story. They’re both important if done in the right spirit. We don't have to make something spiritual out of giving gifts. You may make a birthday cake to Jesus if you wish, but you don't have to. We do need to be Christian, however, about everything we do. Emphasizing the giving part of the day can heal lots of wounds, open calcified hearts, stir up gratefulness, and just be plain fun. God's not against fun is He?

4. There may be better things to be different about. In other words, we might show our radical difference better in the way we treat other shoppers, the kindness we show to retail clerks, the warmth of our hearts, the largeness of our generosity, the thankfulness we express and really feel.

5. There are admittedly some great opportunities to make Christ known during Christmas. With all that is bad about it, we can still make our point. And we will have some sympathy for our message. For years I've led Christmas Eve services, short ones of only 45 minutes, but packed with meaning. The building will be full and all kinds of our friends and family will hear the truth as clearly as we are willing to express it."
- Jim Elliff
Christmas: Bah Hambug or Gloria in Excelsis?
www.ccwonline.org. Used by Permission.


"Jesus is not to us as Christmas is to the world, here today and gone tomorrow."
- Rick Mylander


"The spirit of Christmas needs to be superseded by the Spirit of Christ. The spirit of Christmas is annual; the Spirit of Christ is eternal. The spirit of Christmas is sentimental; the Spirit of Christ is supernatural. The spirit of Christmas is a human product; the Spirit of Christ is a divine person. That makes all the difference in the world."
- Stuart Briscoe
Meet Him at the Manger, Christianity Today, v. 41, n. 14.

It's that last quote that will give you an idea of where I'm headed with the rest of this today.

This year, I can assure you that I am much more spiritually mature than last year. No, not because of anything I've done, but entirely because of what He's done (Hebrews 12:2).

I say that not in a prideful sort of way, but simply because I think it's something that we all should be able to say at the end of the year when looking back and comparing it to the previous one especially if we're doing what we're supposed to by examining ourselves regularly (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Yes, my family and I will be celebrating Christmas again this year. No, we don't believe that Jesus Christ was actually born on December 25th (or in the month of December at all). As with all things that fallen man touches, 'good' and 'noble' things can be perverted from their original form.

"Ok Jeff, then how in the world can you justify celebrating Christmas? Isn't that celebrating a lie? You're contradicting yourself, aren't you?"

Those are perfectly legitimate questions. I'm sure some of you are even more confused too given my strong stance on Halloween each year.

But let's not kid ourselves here either, folks. At least with both Christmas and Easter, there is a definite Christian connection to the celebration -- there is very open, and very public, talk about Jesus Christ's Birth and Jesus Christ's Resurrection. What is the definite Christian connection, or the very open, very public, talk about Jesus Christ associated with the celebration of Halloween? There is none.

Again, the key difference I see between those two holidays and Halloween is that those two celebrate something that's celebrated in Scripture -- Jesus Christ's Birth and Jesus Christ's Resurrection.

I would expect the non-believing world to bastardize it (secularize it) like they have. But there is nothing that celebrates Jesus Christ inherent in the origin of Halloween. Instead, the Christian community has done to Halloween what the non-believing world has done to the celebration of the Birth and Resurrection of Christ -- co-opt it for their own purposes.

Let me be crystal clear though. I don't believe that we should celebrate any holiday thinking that we're 'more spiritual' or 'more obedient' by doing so. This was the very same problem with the Pharisees in Mark 7:9. Truth is, EVERY SINGLE DAY belongs to the Lord (Psalm 118:24)! At the same time, I don't believe that celebrating a holiday like Christmas -- for all the right reasons -- somehow proclaims to the world that I love it more than I love the Lord and Savior.

Christmas, even in our post-Christendom world, is such a thin space. Even despite the western consumer-fest of Christmas, even with all the pizazz and sparkle, even in countries with no Christian tradition, there is often a miraculous focus on the story of God born as man.

It is the one time in the year when many -- with no apparent interest in faith -- will attend a church, or read the story, perhaps as part of their attempt to recapture something of the wonder of their childhood.

Of course, the Word of God tells us that those people with 'no apparent interest in faith' who do open themselves up to the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and why it was necessary only do so because it is the Holy Spirit who is drawing them to the Lord (Jeremiah 31:3; John 6:44).

But what about those dear brothers and sisters of mine who believe the Word of God tells us -- just as plainly -- that any celebration of Christmas is being 'disobedient', is 'wrong', is akin to 'sin'?

Well, again, I don't view them negatively for holding such a belief. No, it's only when their belief on this issue causes them to sin by treating me (or anyone else who holds a different view of Christmas) in such a way that is not consistent with being a true Christian.

What do I mean?

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

If you're an anti-Christmas Christian, then that's fine with me.

However, how many of you are engaging in serious discussions about this topic with people like me in a manner that demonstrates the truth of those verses highlighted above? Be honest.

My gosh, spend 5 minutes on Facebook or any number of Christian Blogs/Forums this time of year and I can assure you that wherever this issue is being debated you won't find "love", "peace", "patience", "kindness", "goodness", "gentleness", or "self-control" even.

With that in mind, I can't help but to think of the following...

"There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem. The ox and the donkey understood more of the first Christmas than the high priests in Jerusalem. And it is the same today."

-- Thomas Merton

The sad irony is that we we keep reading the next few verses from Galatians 5, then this is what we are taught...

Galatians 5:26 (ESV) Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

By describing the works of the flesh and fruits of the Spirit, we are told what to avoid and oppose, and what we are to cherish and cultivate; and this is the sincere care and endeavor of all real Christians.

Even if the anti-Christmas Christians are right about how a Christian has absolutely no business celebrating Christmas each year in any way, shape, or form, the real irony is that those who are often doing all they can to condemn others, are themselves guilty of doing something they shouldn't do as exhibited by their behavior and treatment of other believers.

So, I guess my intention with this piece today is not to necessarily debate this issue any further as if I expect to change anyone's mind about it, but to simply point out some hard truths, as I attempt to "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15), and encourage each and every one of us to a higher standard, or a higher calling, as "ambassadors" for Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5;20).

At the end of the day, perhaps the answer to this annual debate can be found in attempting to put ourselves on some middle ground. What do I mean exactly?

"We must not observe any religious holiday. We should attach no spiritual, religious significance to any day. Yet, we do not need to act like super-pious religious idiots over a day that has absolutely no religious significance. I would never teach a child that such a thing as Santa Claus exist, or that Christ was born on Christmas day. But, as Paul said concerning idols, Santa Claus is nothing and Christmas is nothing. Did you know that every DAY of the week, every PLANET in the universe, and many of the CARS we drive are named after pagan gods? Yet, we still call Sunday Sunday, Mars Mars, and a Saturn a Saturn. No one would ever dream of calling us pagans for doing so. We worship our God on Sunday, and would laugh at anyone who suggested that we observe the pagan Roman holiday called 'Sun’s Day' in doing so. If your car is a Saturn, use it for the glory of God; and laugh at anyone who thinks that you are worshipping the Roman god of agriculture by driving it. We must not, and I trust do not, worship Christmas trees and lights, or even attach spiritual significance to Christmas day. However, I do suggest that we seize this opportunity afforded us by Divine providence to tell people who Christ is, why he came into this world, what he did, and how they may obtain his salvation. It is no accident that once every year every human being in the world is confronted with the fact that the Son of God assumed human flesh and came into the world to save men. Certainly, no one can think that it is wrong for believers, during this season of the year, to express thanks and praise to God for his unspeakable gift, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is never wrong, but always right to think of him, speak of him, and sing his praise. Rather than not singing Watts’ grand old hymn, Joy To The World, we ought to sing it year round."
-- Don Fortner

He's exactly right about all of it, isn't he?

As previously mentioned, there is no Biblical account of anyone celebrating their birthday (much less on an annual basis), but how many of us have decided to refrain from celebrating it for the same reasons often given in this debate? After all, isn't that on par with worshipping yourself and your life rather than the One who gave you life in the first place?

Another thought just came to mind. We all know that apostasy, blasphemy, and heresy is currently infecting Christian churches worldwide. we all know that there are false preachers and false teachers, and Christians-In-Name-Only, in our churches today. Obviously, that is 'bad', but there is also 'good' there too as the Lord continues to work through His true believers, right? Would anti-Christmas Christians advocate that those genuine Christians stay home then and refrain from attending church? It's the same argument, isn't it?

I'm not trying to be contentious here. I'm just trying to get us to think things through Biblically. I hope I've made my point.

Regardless of the Christmas camp you currently reside in, I pray that both groups are equally convicted, and equally snapped back into reality, over such truths as those espoused by Fortner in the above quote.

I suggest applying the following suggestion to your life as I will be applying to mine throughout each and every Christmas function I attend this weekend...

"It is not enough to ask yourself, 'Does God’s Word permit me to use these good things of the world?' You must also inquire, 'Will it serve the glory of God?' and, 'Will it edify my fellow Christians?"
- Walter J. Chantry

Asking ourselves such important questions during this time of year seems consistent with what we read in Philippians 4 too...

Philippians 4:8-9 (ESV) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

The bottom line? Well, to repeat it all one last time for emphasis, there's something potentially significant that I'm wondering about. There's something pertaining to those who were alive in Jesus' time.

I imagine they had trouble (actually, we know they had trouble) accepting Jesus Christ as the Son of God because of sin, yes, but also because some of them just couldn't understand why a "holy" and "sinless" God would incarnate Himself in a "fallen", "unholy", and "sinful" human body.

I bring that up because it seems to correlate quite nicely with this entire debate, doesn't it? I mean, those who oppose the celebration of Christmas will often cite all the verses from the Bible about mixing the "holy" with the "profane".

Forgive me, but isn't that what the birth of Jesus Christ is all about? Isn't the virgin birth a mixing of a holy God with an unholy human body? Isn't that the very thing we celebrate during this (or any other time of the year) as a fundamental tenet of our shared faith?

So what's the problem then? Why the constant debate? Why the protest? Why the incessant hand-wringing over the celebration of Christmas?

What is the subject of Christmas? Christ's Birth, right? That's an extremely important event that's recorded for us in GREAT DETAIL in the Gospels, right? So, in other words, it's something that God wanted us to know and remember, right?

The simple fact of the matter is that our Sovereign Lord has ordained this glorious witnessing opportunity that we call 'Christmas', and He has ordained it for us each and every year so that we may bring Him glory, honor, and praise!

Are we taking full advantage of this opportunity though, or do we spend more time debating the merits of celebrating Christmas with fellow believers rather than preaching the Christmas Story as an integral part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with non-believers who desperately need to hear it?

"To the question: what must I do to be saved? The old gospel replies: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. To the further question: what does it mean to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Its reply is: it means knowing oneself to be a sinner, and Christ to have died for sinners; abandoning all self-righteousness and self-confidence, and casting oneself wholly upon Him for pardon and peace; and exchanging one's natural enmity and rebellion against God for a spirit of grateful submission to the will of Christ through the renewing of one’s heart by the Holy Ghost."
- J.I. Packer


"Only the Christian gospel presents…a way in which justice and mercy kiss each other… First, Christianity confirms the fact that justice must be satisfied. Sin must be condemned according to its demerit. This means eternal doom. The sinner must be damned because God must be inexorably holy and just. His all-powerful Being must vindicate His all-holy Being. Christianity never compromises the ever-blessed purity and excellency of the divine nature. Second, Christianity alone finds a way to satisfy infinite justice and provide infinite mercy at the same time. What no other religion has dreamed of, Jesus Christ has accomplished. He underwent the infinite wrath of God against sin and lived to bestow His mercy on the damned sinners for whom He died. The infinite Son of God took upon Himself a human nature in which He underwent the full fury of the divine wrath. The omnipotent God satisfied His violated holiness by punishing sin completely in His blessed Son, who 'became sin' for His people. The justice of God was vindicated in full in the substitute, His own Son, our Saviour dear. He survived that awful vengeance and rose victor over the grave by the power of His own divinity. Now He offers to every sin-sick and 'pleasure'- burdened soul an everlasting mercy. Perfect mercy and perfect justice in the gospel of the crucified."
- John Gerstner
The Problem of Pleasure, Soli Deo Gloria, 2002, p. 24-25.

Amen! Amen! Amen!

Grace and peace unto you and yours!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Posted in: Bible Study,Great Commission,Holidays,How Close Are We?,Prophecy Basics,Revelatory Revival,Sola Scriptura,Spiritual Deception,Spiritual Growth,Why Study Prophecy?,Witnessing