History Christmas Christian Finished...

Today we finish up looking at the history of Christmas Christian. we will start off by talking about Cristes Maesse What is Christ? According to Christian history, it is the name we use to refer to Jesus. but in history, it is actually a title that refers to the Anointed One. The word messiah is the title that the Hebrews use to describe the coming of the savior. Christ is a title in history, not a name but we use it as a name. A title refers to somebody or something.

the Latin word for mass is missa which means dismissal. Christians in the Middle Ages partook of the bread and the wine in remembrance of Jesus dying on the cross and the blood that was shed for our sins. The service that was observed at the time was the Eucharistic service. they would remember Christ at the end of the service to go out, to be dismissed into the world again.

Moving on to a brief history of Christian Christmas in America. At the beginning of the 17th century, Christmas began.  but in 1645 puritans banned Christmas festivals. The way Christmas is today was greatly shaped by the American revolution. Many of the festivals died out including Christmas due to all the turmoil of war. Many did not observe Christmas. So, They did not celebrate Christmas that much or at all until December 1789 when congress came into session that Christmas was to be celebrated on that day, December 25th. The Catholics and the Protestants celebrated Christmas but not many others. The Protestants of the time were from the Czech Republic. It wasn't declared a national (federal) holiday until an act of national congress in 1870. 

There as I said yesterday so much history on Christmas that it is too much to mention so this is the finish up of a brief history of Christmas Christian and then Christmas the Beginning in America. Have A blessed day!!!!

John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. John 1:1-5

All Bible verses taken from the ASV

A look into Christmas History (Christian)

Today we will move from the worldly to the spiritual as it pertains to Christmas. Many of the things that Christians do on Christmas have been taken over or adopted from worldly practices and made holy. The Christian church took over the merriment, gifts, and lights from the saturnalia festival. The day we celebrate Jesus' birth is not just a day that is significant to us as Christians but also to the Persians and the Romans. The biggest rival to the Christian holiday was the religion of the Persians called mithraism. 

Christmas as it has been celebrated by Christians has been celebrated since the year 98 AD according to tradition. The celebration was that of the birth of Christ. Christ was to be celebrated as a solemn fasting order by the bishop of Rome in 137 AD. Another bishop named Julius I of Rome choose the day of the 25th as the day that we would observe Christmas as we know it today.

Was Jesus born on this day the 25th of December? No one knows for sure. They can pinpoint when He was actually born. So, they make the day that we celebrate His birth as the 25th of December according to History and from then it just became that day that we celebrate Jesu and His birth.

The name of Christmas comes from the old English term Cristes Maesse which means Christ mass. As I said the first Christmas was to be a solemn fasting where after 12 days it was marked by a midnight mass that transition the people who were Christians from fasting to feasting. the service as II said from what I researched was called Christ mass. This was all taking place in the Middle Ages.

This is a start to the history of Christmas as it pertains to Christianity. There is so much history that I will leave it there for today and pick it up where I left off tomorrow.

Mark 1:2-3

             2 Even as it is written [c]in Isaiah the prophet,

Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
Who shall prepare thy way;
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ye ready the way of the Lord,
Make his paths straight; Mark 1:2-3

All Bible verses taken from the ASV

A look at Christmas (Worldly)...

Today we look at the history of Christmas and the origin of this holiday. from what I read that the idea of Christmas goes well before the coming and birth of Jesus. from what I read it dates back 4,000 years ago to the Mesopotamians. Many of what we do today started from traditions from the Mesopotamians. The holiday started as the new year's celebration for the Mesopotamians. when winter came it was said that the Main god of the Mesopotamians name marduk would battle a monster named chaos. to help the God who went to battle chaos they held a new year celebration named zagmuk. the king was to submit to marduk and go back with him to battle and die at the end of the year but they would send someone else in the king's place as a mock king and let him die. The mock king was made royal with clothes and such, but it was all taken away once the new year's celebration was taken away.

A celebration of similar nature by the Persians and the Babylonians was called sacaea. The celebration included the slaves trading places with maters and the master having to do as the slaves commanded.

People who lived in early Europe believed in many evil things and such. They feared that the sun would not come back during the winter solstice. So, they created celebrations and did rituals to welcome the sun back. there was a festival that was called yuletide and it was celebrated during the winter months in Scandinavia. the celebration happened after the person who went out and told the people the first light had come. the celebration with a great feast was centered around a fire burning called the yule log.

The Romans had a holiday that celebrated the god saturn. The festival was celebrated in the middle of December and was called saturnalia. they would have great festivals and such with the giving of good luck gifts called strenae meaning lucky fruit.

The Greeks of that time just like the others had a festival like that of zagmuk/sacae festival which it is said that it was to assist their god kronos in battle with zeus and his titans.

As we know Christmas many of the things, we observe on Christmas come from these festivals and celebrations. Have a blessed day!!!

Jeremiah 13:14-17

 14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith Jehovah: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them.

15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud; for Jehovah hath spoken. 16 Give glory to Jehovah your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into [f]the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. 17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because Jehovah’s flock is taken captive. Jeremiah 13:14-17

All Bible verses taken from the ASV

Thanksgiving concluded...

I give thee thanks. 18 in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward. 1 Thessalonians 5:18. I will give thanks unto Jehovah with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvellous works. psalm 9:1. Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name. psalms 18:49

The ASV mentions thanks 137 in the closest translation after the Interlinear Bible. That gets me to think that thanks is important, I don't about you, does it? As we started off by talking about the history of thanksgiving and then moved on from there. It is clear that this is more another holiday. This is a day to give thanks for all that he has done for us. Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud; for Jehovah hath spoken. Jeremiah 13:15. If the Bible mentions thanks that many times don't you think we should give heed to what the Bible says about thanks then? Not my words but the Bible itself says to give thanks in everything. So, we are to give thanks for everything and more so on a day devoted to giving thanks and praises to God.

Go ahead and eat the turkey, watch football, and see family but put Jesus at the head of everything you do and seek first His kingdom. This was supposed to just be about the holiday, Thanksgiving but it has shaken my faith in a good way. We talked about Jesus first and then something like I mentioned above again. Seeking first ye the kingdom of God. I am trying to live out this verse Luke 12:31in my life. as I said I was leaving 25 minutes open for the devil to do his will before I sought God and His kingdom. So, when I wake up, I pray and say this verse in some way and then keep praying or seeking God (at least I try, my day or yesterday seeps in there sometimes).

To sum it all up in one sentence. Seek God every day (seek ye the kingdom) and more so on Thanksgiving. once I have finished this series, I will return to this idea of Luke 12:31 and what it looks like to live it out. Have a bless day!!!

All Bible verses taken from the ASV

1 Corinthians 2:6-10

 6 We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this [g]world, who are coming to nought: 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory: 8 which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory: 9 but as it is written,

Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not,
And which entered not into the heart of man,
Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.

10 But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:6-10

Outreach Thanksgiving...

37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few. 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest. Matthew 9:37-38. During this season as in any season we are to be laborers of the harvest, we are to proclaim the good news to the world, we are to be as 2 Corinthians 5:20 says, We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God. We are Christ ambassadors in a world that is evil and does evil. So, during Thanksgiving just like Halloween, we are to outreach to others and bring them to Christ. 

As long as Christ is at the head of what you are doing to outreach on this holiday that is all that matters. You can have a Friendsgiving, bringing all your friends who are not of the faith and share the gospel as you share a meal together.  You can plan a neighbor potluck Thanksgiving feast. to have a meal with all your neighbors and fellowshipping while you share the Gospel is a great way to outreach. Have a Thanksgiving Day parade party and pastries for that party during commercials tell everyone about the good news of the Bible. Just open your home for some type of event for Thanksgiving not even proclaiming the good news, just loving on them, and by this, they may ask about why you are doing this or know that what you are doing comes from the God you Serve. There are infinite ways you can serve people on this holiday.

It doesn't have to cost a fortune to serve others on this holiday. a couple dozen donuts don't cost that much, and orange juice isn't expensive either or coffee isn't either if you get the big can. what you do on that day in terms of using money will be repaid back to ten-fold by God for serving others and proclaiming the good news when you get to heaven. Well, I'm broke or money's tight you might be, and it doesn't cost much or anything to create a flag football game. A can of soup can be a great outreach tool if that is all you have at the moment create a potluck and bring it as your dish.

2 And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. I Corinthians 2:1-5. To sum up, all that these verses are saying, you do not have to have perfect speech or wisdom to proclaim the good news all you need is the power of God not of man or any earthly thing. all we need is Jesus and power and we are good to go to proclaim the good news on this holiday.

So go an outreach people for Christ on this holiday and remember to put Christ as the head of this holiday and seek Jesus first and everything will be taken care of. Have a blessed day!!!

All Bible verses taken from the ASV

Deuteronomy 8:1-10

8 All the commandment which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which Jehovah sware unto your fathers. 2 And thou shalt remember all the way which Jehovah thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or not. 3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by everything that proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live. 4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. 5 And thou shalt consider in thy heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so Jehovah thy God chasteneth thee. 6 And thou shalt keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. 7 For Jehovah thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey; 9 a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack anything in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig copper. 10 And thou shalt eat and be full, and thou shalt bless Jehovah thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Deuteronomy 8:1-10 

All Bible verses taken from the ASV

Added or given explained...

22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. 23 For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment. 24 Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure of his life? 26 If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more shall he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: but your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. Luke 12: 22-30 ASV 

Today we will be talking about what will be added or given. We have been on this idea of seeking first ye the Kingdom and have used Luke 12: 31 as a basis for our messages on this Idea. But what is that which will be given or added as you learned yesterday depending on the translation? let's dive in and find out. (I will be numbering them as I go the things given or added)

The first thing that will be given or added is not to be anxious about your life. you should not worry about what you are to eat. It goes on to say that life is more than food. It says that we have more value than the bird's example used is the raven and he does not sow or reap but God feeds them. it means that if God will feed the birds so much so don't you think he will feed us? We are not to seek what we are to eat and to drink because the world seeks after these things. But God in heaven knows we need these things.

The second thing that will be given or added is the body, or what you put on it. For life is more important than the raiment's (clothing) on your body. It also talks about to not be anxious about this either. The example of this is that God clothes the grass in the field which is alive today and tomorrow which is then cast into the oven how much more so will he clothes us, you of little faith? We are not to worry about what to wear, God will give us what we need to be clothed for God gave clothes to Adam and Eve. And Jehovah God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21

The third thing that is not mentioned here but is one that God will give us added to us and that is a place to lay our heads. 8 All the commandment which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which Jehovah sware unto your fathers. Another version says roof over your head. so we are not to worry about where we are to live and sleep.

The final thing we are given or added is not to be doubtful of these things. God gives an example of each one and if we believe God will take care of us like the examples. About these things, we are not to worry and give heed to the worry. 

So go in faith that God will provide these things for you and do not worry about it. Have a Blessed Day!!!

All Bible verses taken from the ASV

Road Map to Finish...

A road map for most of the series ( the rest but not all):

Friday- we will finish looking at what will be added or given.

Saturday- we will look at ways we can outreach to people on Thanksgiving.

Sunday- We will finish up Thanksgiving

Monday- we will look at the history of Christmas-worldly

Tuesday- we will look at the history of Christmas-Christian

Wednesday- look at biblical significance

From there I do not know or am sure this is the exact road map, unlike a map that you can get from AAA this one can change. Have a blessed day!!! 

Luke 12: 22-30

 22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. 23 For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment. 24 Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure of his life? 26 If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more shall he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: but your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. Luke 12: 22-30 

All Bible verses taken from the ASV

Seek his kingdom then added or given...

 31 But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided to you. Luke 12:31 NASB

31 Yet seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you. Luke 12:31 ASB

31 But [strive for and actively] seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Luke12:31 AMP

31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Luke 12:31 KJV

31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Luke 12:31 NKJV

These are all the same verses taken from 5 popular versions of the Bible.  They all have the same meaning, this idea of seek ye the kingdom. What kingdom is that the one of Jesus? We have been talking about seeking first the kingdom. The five versions say provided, added, given, added, and added. Some have the same word, and some use a different word, but it all means the same thing all the things above will be given to you, added to you. I wanted to talk about that before I (with God's direction) move on in the series because we have been using this verse a lot and have not talked about the last part of the verse what will be given or added.

22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your [l]life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. 23 For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment. 24 Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure of his life? 26 If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more shall he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: but your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. Luke 12: 22-30 ASV 

I will leave it there for today and let these verses soak into your soul. For tomorrow I will unpack these verses.

All Bible verses taken from the ASV, NASB, KJV, NKJV, AMP