Christmas with a tree?

[Demon_Buster]

Question:
As Christians should we celebrate Christmas with a tree?

We can get into a debate about this but that’s not want I want to do, just a short response to the question.

I myself say no we should not.
Is any want me to go deeper please send a message no need to clog the board with a big debate.


Blessings
Demon Buster

[Jen]

that is something that each believer needs to ask the Lord about for themselves.

I personally have 3 in my home. I'd have more if Dan would let me!
From the age of 10 to 16 I didn't celebrate Christmas at all.
It did allot of damage to my unsaved family members.
But.. there are aspects of it that are pagan and unpleasing to the Lord.. so that is why I with my whole heart believe.. that each person needs to ask God for themselves.

Jen

[bjcollin]

Personally we have one with a beautiful angel on top that sits in our living room. However, when you walk into our home, it is not the first thing people see. There is a table by the front door with a simple manger on it that people first see when entering our home. In our home, Jesus will be honored first.

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/photo ... 1100246724

in Christ,

[Taps]

They are right of course.
If it is sin to you... then should you decide to partake, it will be sinning. It is very personal. If you do not have liberty then by all means abstain...
but as the scriptures state... all things are permissible but are they all profitable?

Are you placing yourself under the law (reason)... or do you have conviction of heart not to participate at that level. These are some questions you can ask.

Cheers... taps.
aka Artie.

[BornAgain]

I have one and I personally don't feel convicted about it.

I heard on the radio yesterday that for a Christian the tree represents the cross and the lights represent Jesus hanging on the cross being the light of the world.

I like that. I will never look at a Christmas tree the same again.

[Jen]

lol BJ... we do the very same thing! haha.
though we have a star on our tree..but the first thing people see as they walk in is the manager.

what does your family view it as? you can create a large stumblingblock to them.. and even cause offense and severe division ... (daughter of divorce speaking here.. two reasons.. tongues and no Christmas)

the best thing is to pray about it and ask God.

[Jewels-inhisheart]

I have studied and prayed about this off and on for many years....
I have peace for me its fine.
One i see that the Christmas tress can represent certain truths from the bible. One is the tree of life with the ornaments representing the fruit. The evergreen seems to never die with its a all around green foliage,, the other the tree can represent the cross. as the cross was cit from some type of tree perhaps a fir?
The ornaments and lights can represent eh fruit of the spirit and the lights the light of Christ. All the colors of being presented .. o believe colors can represent a character of God.
The tree should not be worshiped or sung to for that is pagen. Its a simple decorative embellishment of the holiday. In the old testament they have a celebration where they erect booths and i believe cover it with fruit and tree branches and such... int he new testament Jesus was greeted on the donkey as he entered Jerusalem with palm branches in worship to him.
Christmas tress can make one think of Christ. I know someone that's making a small one and donating it to a local bar. Is that right? Well was it OK for Jesus to eat and drink with the sinners?


If u feel guilty dont Have a tree.. But others feel free and use it as a type of worshipful celebration of this new day Christ gave us,, a way to the tree tree of Life the first Adam ignored.


Christmas makes people think of love,,, kindness and Christ. When i was a little girl Christmas was a part of the seed i believe Jesus planted in me about him...


There are other customs we practice today without even thinking on it that have pagen origins.... like wedding ceremonies and birthday candles... even having a nick knacks could be seen as having idols.
I dont believe in my heart of hearts God wants us forever worrying and double checking every little custom to see if its has a old pagen custom attached to it.. it would drive one nuts after awhile and lead one into worry feat and even take some joy out of life.

Christmas changed through the years as people and Christianity rooted more into the conciseness of man and the symbols meanings changed.

They tried it with Halloween but it did-int stick but with Christmas minus Santa and the over spending... it stuck.
Christmas is beautiful because its about Jesus and about love....

[dance-in-the-son]

It depends on why we are celebrating, I don't beleive it is good or bad unless you use it for selfish or wrong motives. I personally don't think the Lord cares if we have a tree, He is looking at the heart.

[Jewels-inhisheart]

I wanted to add...
WE have a cross at the top of out tree, Ed made it maybe 20 years ago. a simple wooden cross with holes in it for me to put a few lights. hes not really into Christmas but that is one of his personal contributions.
We dont use anything else but the cross for the tree topper...for me it just wouldn't seem right.
I saw a lady on TV that devised a tree that in the middle was a HUGE cross from the op down,,, sorts looked like half a Christmas tree with the front exposing a cross... didn't get a good look at it but that was a idea..that may appeal to some...

[Robert159347]

Hello Demon_Buster and Merry Christmas! Pertaining to whether or not I put up a Christmas tree, I actually don't anymore. For a long time I used to put one up, but when a pastor of mine showed me some verses from Jeremiah, I reconsidered.

Jeremiah 10:2-6 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.

As you can see, the tree described by Jeremiah does sounds like a Christmas tree, and you can see how G-d feels about it. Though, I'm not going to condemn a christian if they have a Christmas tree; they can have a Christmas tree and still go to heaven. I do it mostly out of risk of offending G-d, especially because it is Jesus's birthday, and the last thing I would want to do is offend Jesus on his birthday. Anyway, that's me personally, whatever you or anyone else chooses to do up to them.

I just want to say Happy Birthday Jesus and I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas!

[dance-in-the-son]

In that verse it says they are not good or evil if they celebrate with a tree so it seems to me that He doesn't care either way. What matters most is who are we celebrating everyday!!!

I do feel a little different this year and I want to make this time of year about Jesus and who He is to me and my family and not about all the hustle and bustle. I will still go to Christmas parties, etc. but I put my main focus on Jesus and all He is and has done in my life throughout the year....

Blessings!!!!

[Yolanda]

Shalom,
People used to worship or idolize the tree when it was up. It holds neither of those positions in our hearts. Everything about our tree points back to the real reason for the season, from the star on top to the gifts underneath. Depends upon what the tree means to you. I personally LOVE CHRISTmas and the beautiful decorating (although we steer clear of Santa stuff)... it is a wonderful time of year to celebrate a wonderful day!

[Demon_Buster]

Some time ago I was struggling with the idea about the tree at this time of year as a boy growing up in the Catholic Church my parents always had a tree at this time of year.

Meany years after converting to Christianity I searched deeper into the meaning of the what should a Christian be.
As some people are born into the church and others are called into it. I am the latter I never knew the lord till I was in my 40’s having a life of drugs, alcohol and smoking it was hard to give it up. My father smoked and drank his father done the same coming from an Irish background the Traditions landed on me I started smoking when I was seven started drinking when I was 10 drugs came into my life when I was about fifteen
Through pray and some fasting and seeking the lord I started to gain more understanding of what the lord wanted for me in my life.. and later Traditions came up again and I had a struggle with it.

I decided to pass it all up and see where the lord leads me. So on the note of Traditions this is what the lord showed me in a dream I had a short time later.
The dream
I saw a truck with boxes on it a rather large truck the boxes where large like creates.
There was what looked like a tarpaulin over the front half of the boxes. On the front of the tarpaulin there was a picture it was of a lion in old English style like the crest on a knight’s shield or a coat of arms I was looking at it thinking to me self that’s old English looking.
Then I saw a figure it was coming near me I was puzzled not sure what or who it was the figure had a hood over the head the kind see on a have on a spring jacket the figure stopped a meter away from me I was a bit nervous but I went over to the figure and uncovered the face. It turned out he was a young man well younger than me, he was smiling a big warm smile and he face was very lovely as well his persona was very warm and friendly he was just looking at me and smiling.
I began to cry .the tears began to pour out of me the crying turned to weeping I wept and cried then I hugged him and kissed him on the cheek no words were spoken to each other just the tears


I believe in the dream the boxes and the truck were the traditions I was letting go packing them up as it where, the rest of the dream well I think it interprets itself..

Blessings to you and have a blessed holiday..

Demon n Buster

[warrior_princess]

I so agree with Taps. It is personal. Yahweh is calling for a holy people so we do , (as individujls), need to seek his face as to where we stand and how he wants us to stand on all issues. And as was already said, "if you feel it is sin, it IS SIN for you." Yahweh is purging His people and I have had some deep soul-searching times of prayer and the Word, and, seeking Yahweh's face concerning this. I will say He is not getting glory out of it, but, the question is, will it keep us out of the kingdom? Unless the Lord says so personally to you, I think not. We should not worship them. I am alone having raised my children and I bought a tree, and, loved decorating it , alone. It brought me joy to remember times of doing this with family members that are no longer here. What does it arouse in you? this is important. I do not stay around it all the time. But, the Lord does not withhold any good thing from His children outside of His Laws, commandments and individual requjements for individual believers. Does it come between youj and youjr personal relationship with Him? This is my belief, not saying I am an authority. I loved all of the answers here, definitely a Ruach Ha Kodesh started topic and it is good for ujs to choose the things ALWAYS that keep ujs in close fellowship with Yahu'shua. Hope this helps.