Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30. The word “advent,” is from the Latin adventus (Greek parousia), means “coming” or “arrival.” The season of Advent is focused on the “coming” of Jesus as Messiah (Christ/King). Emphasis on “COMING”. Our worship, readings, and prayers not only prepare us spiritually for Christmas (his first coming), but also for his eventual second coming (the return). This is why Scripture readings during Advent include both Old Testament passages related to the expected Messiah, and New Testament passages concerning Jesus’ second coming as judge of ALL people.

If Advent is the season of remembrance and preparation for the return of our Lord Jesus, and the Holiday Season a time of good tidings and cheer, what then is the Christmas Season? It seems, it too is about good tidings and cheer; giving and receiving; singing and dancing; parties and plays; with some baby Jesus added. This Christmas Season from the surface appears to be innocent and healthy, but is it? Has it removed Jesus from the throne or have we included our culture on to the throne of Christ?

So I guess the question is, should we have one winter season combining all the things we enjoy or should we celebrate two seasons? A cultural season and holy season both running seemingly concurrent.

So is there anything wrong with celebrating both seasons, concurrently? Just like money, it’s what we do and how we treat it that makes our actions evil. Not the money or the season. So please remain faithful to God and allow your faith to shine in this otherwise cold worldly Christmas Season.

I guess another way to look at it, those that celebrate the Season of Christmas without the Christ Mass have better things to do than honor and worship Jesus on the day that season is allegedly created around.

I fully understand that in some fellowships, its very difficult during the festival season’s. Rented & shared facilities, limited space and resources. If it is not feasible to have your own worship time why not encourage your fellowship to participate with another fellowship for the day. Not just dismiss it. Maybe even a distant aunt (another denomination). GASP. I wonder how beautiful the blessing would be to the Lord if we began rebuilding the body instead of fearing others as competition or the enemy.

Please, don’t rationalize the challenge away. I speak with a broken heart of one that has been there and done that. I the chief of sinners. May the blessings of our Lord be with you.

It’s just how I see things, blessings

What are the  (Magi) mentioned in the Bible? Larry, Curley and … long pause … Moe! Yes, laugh because the good Lord gave us a sense of humor. Honestly though, it’s just as good an answer as any found. We just don’t know and it’s really OK.

No one really knows the name or even how many Magi’s there were. If we are going to declare facts based on tradition, take heed. Church tradition, if not passed down through the fathers are merely cultural tradItions (practices). Beautiful as many cultural practices are, they are just that. Not issues of salvation. That is unless we place our own traditions above the authority of God and His Church.

May we all seek our words carefully. Binding only to those things that are the will of God.

Seek unity through the Christ as we appreciate the freedom we’ve all been given to celebrate our cultures.

Have you ever been able to wait in silence? I mean
really wait in silence? The writer of Psalm 62 says that
he does. But really? I like the idea, it appeals to my inner
introvert. That person that lives inside of me that I finally
discovered and let out of his cage. It is that which counterbalances
the E on my Myers-Briggs scale. My E, which is somewhere
far to the left of the E on the scale. If you don’t know Myers-
Briggs the first scale is a continuum of extrovert and introvert with
the E being on the left side of the continuum. (But I digress once
again.)

I believe that somewhere in our inner self we all need silence. Among
other things it is really the only way that we can “hear” God. I know
that God speaks through many things but in order for us to… continue reading

The key is “ALL”. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16

And I thought subliminal messaging was a thing of the past.

Short answer, we’ve become an easy target for the world. As one homeless person told me recently, you want to see the Webster definition of Two-faced… look at Christian’s. Ouch!

Apparently the mall’s managers were not bothered that Santa was difficult to see among the huge images of computer generated penguins, and clearly nobody was disturbed by the geographic discrepancy–penguins only live at the South Pole and Santa resides at the North Pole. Sadder to me was the absence of the enormous Christmas tree that had stood at the center of the mall since my childhood. It appeared that Santa had sold his season, and his soul, to Warner Brothers Studios. I was, however… continue reading

Francis Chan – Making Disciples from Verge Network on Vimeo.