Today’s thought “Qualities and feasts of people” (December 14)

Nearly 2 millennia ago a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ wrote letters to his fellow brethren and sisters in Christ. He wrote to them, who were living further away, to share the same precious faith they had. He talked about a faith which was given to them because of the justice and fairness of the Nazarene Jewish master teacher, who had put his own will aside to do the Will of the Most High God in heaven. For the letter writer Peter and his friends it was clear that this Nazarene was the Anointed of God or the Kristos (the Christ or Mashiach/Messiah)(2 Peter 1:1).

Over ten days many people shall come to remember his birth. The only pity is that they do that on the pagan birthday of the false god of light.

For centuries now, much of the world has been taught that the 25th of December is the holiday that marks the birth of the Christian saviour, Jesus Christ, but that’s simply wrong. The same as Jesus wasn’t white and his name was not really Jesus, he was not born on that December night but much earlier, namely the 17th of October.

It were Christian missionaries to Western Europe who adopted the regional holy or set apart days and as such brought the Yule celebrations and Roman Saturnalia into Christendom. This in order to appease and convert pagans who were deeply, spiritually attached to their own holidays. Early Christians were also fascinated by the rural, rustic pagan traditions. [The pagan Scandinavian and Germanic people of northern Europe celebrated a winter holiday called Yule (also called Jul, Julblot, jólablót). The Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by the Icelander Snorri Sturluson, describes a Yule feast hosted by the Norwegian king Haakon the Good (c. 920–961). {Wikipedia 2019}]

It was very common by peoples to celebrate astronomical markers that could help them to regulate things in their lives, like agriculture. The solstices and equinoxes helped people know when to plant their seeds and harvest their crops. The winter solstice marks the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night. After solstice, the darkest night of the year, the renewal of light and the coming of the new year was celebrated in the later Roman Empire at the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Dies Natalis of Sol Invictus), the “Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun,” on December 25. That celebration was brougth in as a day to take free by the Emperor Aurelian who consecrated the temple of the Roman god Sol Invictus, for honouring the birthday of the Sun – officially elevating the Sun to the highest position among the gods – according to some ‘nudging a steering current towards monotheism’.

But for the apostles it was clear that there is only One True God, the heavenly Father of the one rabbi they were following, and we should follow as well. The Jew Saul (apostle Paul) wrote to the Romans

“ yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.” (1Co 8:6 ASV)

“ But food will not {1 } commend us to God: neither, if we eat not, {2 } are we the worse; nor, if we eat, {3 } are we the better. {1) Gr present 2) Gr do we lack 3) Gr do we abound } (1Co 8:8 ASV)

The apostle Peter who at a certain moment had rebuked his rabbi Jeshua (Jesus Christ) (*) after which Jesus had given him a reprimand, came to stop “not minding the things of The God” (**). After having received the Holy Spirit (the Power of God) he and his fellow brethren got the courage to talk about their master his message and were making sure more people could come to know him and his heavenly Father, the Only One True God.

In his letter Peter not only writes about the Nazarene man, of flesh and blood, born in Bethlehem who instructed them and gave them the task to set out from their birth region to teach and to proclaim in their cities, the name of Christ and his God, and the Word of God.
Going from one place to another, they also found other teachers who falsely claimed to be disciples of the master Jeshua (Jesus). Those false teachers, like the ones today, promised freedom. But for Peter they themselves were slaves of human thoughts, sin and corruption. Those preachers of the false holy days and presenters of pagan rites are a slave to whatever controls them. (slave to satan = slave to the adversary of God)

for by whom a man is overcome, by the same is he brought into bondage.

All those false teachings which came into Christianity made a corrupt Christendom. It is even so bad that the missionaries of those false human doctrines, come to enslave those who seemed to have found Christ. When we then see people willing to escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ after they have escaped the pollutions of the world they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end being worse off than before.

“19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of {1 } whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage. {1) Or what }20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of {1 } the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. {1) Many ancient authorities read our } (2Pe 2:19-20 ASV)

Awful to know that most people once belonging to such a denomination of the Trinitarian Church, become convinced by their priests or ministers teaching of ‘Once saved, always saved‘, making them happy with the life they live and forgetting how Jesus taught about two ways and two gates, a broad or wide gate and a small or narrow one, or Gate of God.

“ {1 } For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it. {1) Many ancient authorities read How narrow is the gate, etc } (Mt 7:14 ASV)

“ Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be {1 } able. {1) Or able, when once } (Lu 13:24 ASV)

“ confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.” (Ac 14:22 ASV)

“ And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?” (1Pe 4:18 ASV)

From the Book of the Acts of the Apostles we can learn that Saul or the apostle Paul was also stricken by fundamental(ist) teachings. As a devout and very religious Jew he too fought against the first followers of Christ. It was only later, after Jesus had already been resurrected from the dead, that he came to see the light (after an appearance of Jesus had thrown him from his horse). He had learned it the hard way, but became an avid defender of the faith in Jesus Christ. He with the other close disciples of Jesus was taken out of the world of corruption by His only begotten beloved son. By his divine power, God had given them everything they needed for living a godly life. And in a way that is the same for us. We too have received all of what is necessary to come to the Truth. Today we have the Hebrew Scriptures as well as the Messianic Scriptures (Old and New Testament). Together they provide us with the infallible Word of God, which is the best to Guide us. All those books should give us enough insight to come to know the eternal all-knowing Spirit God and to come to know His sent one, the one who called the fishermen to come to fish people. Because of this godly son his glory and excellence, we are given great and precious promises in which we should put our faith, and not in the human doctrines. The Bible provides us with the best schooling and the promises that enable us to share in divine nature escaping the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

“ seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us {1 } by his own glory and virtue; {1) Some ancient authorities read through glory and virtue } (2Pe 1:3 ASV)

In the many letters is been spoken about the qualities real followers of Christ should come to have. We have to work at them and have to build at our character to become more like Christ, in union with God.

Let us follow those teachings from the letters of Christ his disciples, so that we too can become worthy followers of Christ. And let us abandon all those pagan rites and festivals and keep to the God given holy or set apart days.

Preceding

When you believe Jesus is God: who do you think is the mediator? #1 Son of man

When we think of Jesus let us strive to realise what he means to us

Written to recognise the Promissed One

2020 years since

The Beginning of the life of Jesus Christ

Jesus begotten Son of God #2 Christmas and pagan rites

A season for truth and peace

Today’s thought “If these qualities are yours” (December 14)

Daily thought for July the 8th and the Summer months

Additional reading

One thought on “Today’s thought “Qualities and feasts of people” (December 14)”

Redeeming Luv

December 17, 2022 at 9:33 am Reply

Kingdom Greetings! Great message, it is the pure Word. To Yahweh be the glory.

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