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To: Corin Stormhands; Dr. Eckleburg; xzins; P-Marlowe; Revelation 911; blue-duncan; jude24; ...
I think a lot of what we're seeing is a general confusion about symptom and disease.

Personally, Christmas no longer has a special religious significance for me. I can state it as a fact that Yeshua was born in the fall rather than the winter, and I think I can state with 99% certainty that He was born on the first day of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles (when God "tabernacled among us"), and was circumcised on the eigth day of the feast. I celebrate His birthday accordingly.

Nevertheless, I love this time of year. I love the weather (strangely enough), the festivities, the decorations, and I still enjoy the nostalgia of hearing classic Christmas carols and seeing Merry Christmas Charlie Brown on the tube. I also love the time spent with my family and my mom's home cooking. (I fortunately have understanding parents who don't mind if I put my Hanukkia up along side their pagan sym--I mean, Christmas tree. ;-) Just teasing.)

The fact that we have sudden, widespread attacks on Nativity scenes and words with "Christ" in them is not the disease. It's merely a symptom of the disease.

I completely understand that this is a particularly distressing symptom to those for whom this is the holiest time (either just before or after Easter) of the year, and that's why we see so much anger directed at, for example, businesses who are trying to go with the flow by saying, for example, "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." Nevertheless, if you have an upper respiratory infection, how much good does it do to suppress symtoms without treating the cause?

The cause of this particular symptom is the increasing secularization and universalization of our culture. But even that cause has a greater cause: The failing of the American Church (and I'm including all denominations here).

When we as a body are on fire for the Lord again, willing to take abuse (psychological, legal, and even physical) as a testimony for our belief that He died for our sins and rose from the dead, then we'll be heard.

When we are more concerned about seeing true repentence ("turning around") and growth in our brethren than in whether a person spouts the right theological formulas and tithes, then we'll be leading others through the narrow gate.

When we are willing to be wierd for God instead of demanding that society mould itself to make our Christian walks more convenient, then we'll start shaping society.

When we spend more time in prayer, study, fellowship, and actively walking the walk of the Spirit than we do in front of the boob tube, then our light won't be hidden under the sofa.

When we are conformed to the image of God's Son, then people will see the Messiah.

Until we stop being lukewarm as a corporate body, why should we be surprised that the Church's influence in America will continue to wane? When God does judge America--and I think it's starting--it won't be because of the sins of the openly pagan and humanistic, but because of the sins of those proclaiming Christ.

86 posted on 12/07/2005 2:59:36 PM PST by Buggman (L'chaim b'Yeshua HaMashiach!)
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To: Buggman
I think I can state with 99% certainty that He was born on the first day of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles (when God "tabernacled among us"),

Could you get any more eisegetical, my friend?

88 posted on 12/07/2005 5:46:46 PM PST by jude24 ("Thy law is written on the hearts of men, which iniquity itself effaces not." - St. Augustine)
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