14/12/11

Why do we celebrate?

Deuteronomy 6:20 - And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies [witnessing], and the statutes [which later became traditions], and the judgments [customs], which the LORD our God hath commanded you?


In a few days people will be celebrating the Nativity of Jesus Christ and the Lord wants us to reflect on this activity which the world is going to get lost into.

In today's message the Lord had commanded His people to celebrate certain events so as to witness what the Lord had done for them and the statues which later became traditions were things which the Lord commanded them to do so as to build their faith.

If we look at the festivals which the Lord had asked the Israelites to celebrate among the top most important ones were the Passover which falls on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Harvest (Pentecost) which falls on the day when the Holy Spirit was given to the Church (Congregation).

Now coming to the Nativity of Jesus, did the Lord instruct us to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ? When all the other celebration coincided with Jesus Christ, did the Lord not know when He would come as man?

The coming of Jesus Christ was indeed celebrated before Jesus was born as a child and it was in a more grand way than what we celebrate. It was an 8 days festival with the eight day being the grand Sabbath.

People complain about not knowing the date of Jesus' coming; that is because they do not study the Bible. The Nativity of Jesus falls on the Feast of the Tabernacle (Sukkoth) which is in September (supposed to start on the 15th of September).

There are the wise people of this world who question as to what difference does it make on which day we celebrate the Nativity of Jesus Christ. I think they should ask the Lord the same question as to why He specified the date and month of when the festivals need to be celebrated. Did He lack wisdom? I think these people should contribute a little of their wisdom to God.

When they celebrate ChristMass they think they are celebrating the nativity of Jesus Christ. Understand when ones celebrates Labour Day is not because one labours. It is celebrated in the United Sates in remembrance of the start of the labour movement and as homage to the many labours who were killed at the hands of the US army. That is reason they come out in masses as an act of defiance to the government.

ChristMass when started had nothing to do with the Nativity of Jesus Christ. It was a grand Mass celebrated by the Catholic Church to prevent the Catholics from attending the celebrations of the sun god on that day by the Roman pagans. It was after many years that one of the priests started bringing a crib to one of these Masses and over the years they started linking ChristMass celebrations to the birth of Jesus Christ.

Firstly, as Christians we are not celebrating the Nativity of Jesus Christ as the Lord has commanded us. Secondly, what we celebrate as birth of Jesus Christ when we celebrate ChristMass, in reality has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus Christ.

If Christians do celebrate the Nativity of Jesus Christ the way the Lord instructed, the world will indeed know that Christ came.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You people due to their hard heartedness and ignorance have been deceived and made to disobey You and do things which bring You to anger. Lord, we pray that the eyes of your people open and they are been victims of wolves in sheep clothing. Lord may your grace be upon them and give them the courage to stand for the Truth even if they need to stand against the whole world...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Leviticus 23:34-43
34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.
39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

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