God is VERY relational. The Father is just that, our Father. He could have chosen any number of titles; Supreme Commander, General, Boss, President, Chancellor, etc. to describe his position to us. He chose "Father" because that is his nurturing and protective heart towards us.

Jesus was first the God of the Old Testament. Romans 10:4 says He was the Rock that followed them in the wilderness. He expressed His relationship quite explicitly in Ezekiel 16. He is our husband. Numerous times he tells us of the sting of our whoredoms and adulteries which happen when we seek to find our security and covering in the worship of false gods [identified as devils in Lev 17:7 "And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations."] Also in seeking out national alliances for our protection.

Jesus is the Boaz who ransomed us from the near kinsman. He is the one who redeems us today from being married to the god of this world, Satan. Jesus loves us so much that he subjected his life to the mercies of our false lover who is a pimp - prostituting us out and hold us captive against our will. Jesus gave his life to redeem us from the pimp who brutalized us daily for his own pleasure, with total contempt for our lives.

I used to keep Christmas as a child, then forsook it for decades, legalistically. Then it was open to me again under the Romans 14 understanding. For me, I choose to not keep this day because my husband knows who began the day and who it originally honored. It began as a day of honor to the one who once pimped Jesus' bride and sought her destruction.

For me to keep Christmas is as if I went out and said, "Hey Lord, come let's celebrate the day my pimp came into my life. I know I am yours, and he has no power over me, but just for the memories..." Things like this are like the pictures of former lovers sitting on the headboards of our marriage bed -- they do not do much for a loving, caring, sensitive God who came to save us from these things.

Jesus, as Lord of Israel told them: "Deu 18:9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
Deu 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
Deu 18:11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
Deu 18:12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
Deu 18:13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God."

I cannot judge another man's conscience on this, but I can challenge the perspective and let them decide if it bears witness with God's spirit in them.

Blessings to you all and let's hold onto the faith and onto each other as we make our way, seeing through a glass darkly....

____________________________________________

Tim

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