Very good.
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On Wed, Dec 23, 2020 at 9:11 PM, mike mcinnis<ratmotor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Greetings to all,
I am sending out this article by bro. Parks, which I find a great measure
of agreement with. I understand that this holiday is often the source of much
controversy both for and against. I fully understand the reasoning on both
sides of the issue. We are nowhere commanded to remember the LORD's birth,
most especially not in the fashion in which these festivities purport to do.
I personally try to avoid the trappings of this season as much as possible and
certainly do not promote such things. Having said that, I find no reason to be
on a crusade against the holidays and celebrations of men. We are in the world
but not of it by the grace of GOD. I would welcome anyone with a contrary view
to share it with us since that is why we have a "forum". " Let every man be
fully persuaded in his own mind." (Rom 14:5)
Blessings, mike
MAY THE LORD RICHLY BLESS CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL! I sometimes hear
some men say they have nothing to do with Christmas because idolatry is
associated with it.
I applaud any man who has nothing to do with anything associated with
idolatry.
Well, I would if I could find such a man!
Trust me, such a man does not exist!
Every day of the week is named after an idolatrous god: Tuesday after
Mars (through a Germanic translation into Teiwaz); Wednesday after Odin;
Thursday after Thor; Friday after Frigg; Saturday after Saturn; Sunday and
Monday after celestial bodies worshiped by idolaters across the earth.
Certainly he who has nothing to do with any day associated with idolatry has no
day!
Every month of the year is intimately associated with idolatry. January
is named after the god Janus. February is named after Februa, the ancient Roman
ritual of ritual purification later personified by the god Februus. March is
named after the god Mars. April was sacred to the goddess Venus. May is named
after the goddess Maia. June is generally said to have been named after the
goddess Juno (hence the popularity of this month for weddings). July is named
after Julius Caesar, who had a statue dedicated to him in the temple of
Quirinus in 45 BC on which was written “To the Invincible God”. August is named
after Caesar Augustus, who was declared to be a god by the Roman senate upon
his death in 14 AD. The fact that September, October, November, and December
are not named after gods, having instead names identifying them respectively as
the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth months, does not make them one whit
holier. Remember that every day in those months is named after an idolatrous
god. Also, those months have “holy days” (called holidays) designated by
idolaters.
Every time you look into the heavens you see planets named after
idolatrous gods such as Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune,
also Ceres, Eris, Haumea, Makemake, and Pluto.
We who are gospel ministers obey our Lord’s commission to “Go into all
the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15) even though in
so doing we visit cities named after idolatrous gods.* Such places are no less
idolatrous than Corpus Christi (meaning Body of Christ) or Saint Croix (meaning
Holy Cross).
I will not castigate Paul the apostle for ministering in Athens (Acts
17:15ff), named after the goddess Athena; nor for not deserting that place when
“he saw that the city was given over to idols” (v.16); nor for accompanying
idolaters to the Areopagus (vv.19-32), named after the Greek god Ares. (The KJV
identifies this place as “Mars’ Hill” in v.22, named after the Roman god
equivalent to the Greek Ares.)
I assure you that Christians are at liberty to eat meat that was
sacrificed to an idol (1 Corinthians ch.8). But I exhort Christians to not use
their liberty in Christ in such a way as to offend the “weak” brother (as Paul
calls him in vv.7, 9, 10, 11, 12) who has scruples against such contact with
idolatry. You may remind him that “we know that an idol is nothing in the
world” (v.4).
I assure you that you will not become unsanctified if you travel on a
highway used by automobiles with idolatrous names such as Aurora, Mercury,
Saturn, or Taurus. Nor if you have contact with an ocean, which in Greek
mythology was personified as a Titan and ruled by the god Neptune/Poseidon.
Nor if you use the King James Version of the Holy Bible, in which the Greek
word for Passover in Acts 12:4 is mistranslated “Easter”, named for the
Chaldean goddess Astarte, Queen of Heaven.
I assure you that the Lord Jesus Christ was not tainted by idolatry when
He said “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Mark 12:17) even
though caesars were idolized by Romans as gods.
The fact of the matter at hand is that we live in an idolatrous world,
for “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). We
must ever obey the command to “keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). But
he who would have nothing whatsoever to do with anything associated with
idolatry must “go out of the world” – as Paul expressed it (1 Corinthians
5:10). That would be contrary to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, who prayed
that His people at this present time not be taken “out of the world” (John
17:15). Be confident that you may be “in the world” but not “of the world”, and
that many things idolatrous in name do not require the worship of the gods
associated with them.
Therefore, if you are offered “Christmas” as a holiday, enjoy it. If you
are offered a “Christmas” bonus, spend it. If a merchant offers a “Christmas”
sale, shop. If you are offered a “Christmas” gift, accept it – and return the
favor. If you receive a “Christmas” card, read it. If you are invited to a
“Christmas” meal, eat. If you are offered a glass of “Christmas” eggnog, drink.
If you are invited to worship an idol, refuse. And “whether you eat or drink,
or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31) – whether
the day be Christmas Day or the Lord’s Day!
If others wish to abominate everything associated with Christmas
(including all things cited in the preceding paragraph), let them. If others
judge you harshly for associating with Christmas, let them. If others do not
feel comfortable with exercising Christian liberty regarding Christmas things,
try not to offend them.
May the Lord richly bless Christmas to one and all! May He not withhold
blessing us during this season simply because it is associated with idolatry!
– DEP (2011.12.18) ~~~ * Cities in the USA bearing names of idolatrous gods
include Achilles, Ajax, Amazonia, Apollo, Argo, Argos, Arion, Athens, Atlanta,
Atlantic, Atlas, Atlasburg, Aurora, Castor, Calypso, Cassandra, Ceres, Clio,
Daphne, Diana, Dike / Dyke, Echo, Elysian, Eros, Flora, Fortuna, Griffin,
Hector, Helen / Helena / Helenville, Hercules, Hesperia, Hesperus, Hymera,
Irene, Iris, Juno, Jupiter, Luna, Mars, Medusa, Mercury, Minerva, Neptune,
Notus, Orestes, Orion, Pandora, Paris, Penelope, Phoenix, Poseidon, Urania,
Uranus, Venus, Vesta / Vestal, Victoria, Vulcan, Zephyr, and Parthenon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in Your sight, O Jehovah,
my strength and my Redeemer.
(Psalm 19:14) ~~~
