A spiritual view of the Christmas tree!

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Ronald Nolette

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This is not for Jehovahs Witnesses as given the tenor of their comments on another thread, they believe that Christmas trees somehow have demons attached to them.

In the church I have attended, from time to time I gave an adult sunday school lesson on looking at the Christmas tree with Jesus in focus.

Pretty much what the JW's say about the origins of Christmas and the tree is true, but I know of no one who worships Saturnalia, Saturn, Bacchus or any other false god as a believer. So let me give a short synopsis of how the Christmas tree can be a wonderful symbol for the glory of our Savior Jesus.

1. We have to go and seek the tree, just like we must seek Jesus to find Him
2. When we find the tree, we must cut it down (if you cut yours), to bring it home, just like Jesus had to be cut down so we could make Him ours.
3. The tree must look like and arrow pointing up, Just like we must remember the celebration is about Him who died and rose and now lives in glory in heaven.
4. It is shaped like a triangle- which is a reminder that our God is three but one.
5. We place the tree in water, Just like we must place our new life in Christ in the water of the Word for it to stay nourished.
6. We place lights inside the branches. As Jesus is the vine and we the branches, we must let our light so shine to glorify the tree and not ourselves!
7. We decorate the tree with beautiful ornaments, just as we must decorate our lives with the works our God has foreordained we should walk in.
8. We place a star to remind us of His star and that wise men still seek after him. Or an angel to remind us of the heavenly choir that came down to announce those grand tidings!
9. We give gifts as a reminder that God so loved us, He gave the greatest gift of all!

So despite the pagan origins of a fir tree in the house, we can use it as a glorious telling of the love of God and bring our family into a deeper love of God and use the brightness of the tree to seek to brighten our lives with His glory!
 

atpollard

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The modern Christmas tree, though, originated in western Germany. The main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a “paradise tree,” a fir tree hung with apples, that represented the Garden of Eden. The Germans set up a paradise tree in their homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the eucharistic host, the Christian sign of redemption); in a later tradition the wafers were replaced by cookies of various shapes. Candles, symbolic of Christ as the light of the world, were often added. In the same room was the “Christmas pyramid,” a triangular construction of wood that had shelves to hold Christmas figurines and was decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star. By the 16th century the Christmas pyramid and the paradise tree had merged, becoming the Christmas tree.
The custom was widespread among the German Lutherans by the 18th century, but it was not until the following century that the Christmas tree became a deep-rooted German tradition. Introduced into England in the early 19th century, the Christmas tree was popularized in the mid-19th century by German-born Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. The Victorian tree was decorated with toys and small gifts, candles, candies, popcorn strings, and fancy cakes hung from the branches by ribbons and by paper chains. Taken to North America by German settlers as early as the 17th century, Christmas trees were the height of fashion by the 19th century. They were also popular in Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and the Netherlands. In China and Japan, Christmas trees, introduced by Western missionaries in the 19th and 20th centuries, were decorated with intricate paper designs.
- from The Encyclopedia Britannica​
 
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atpollard

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The modern Christmas tree, though, originated in western Germany. The main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a “paradise tree,” a fir tree hung with apples, that represented the Garden of Eden. The Germans set up a paradise tree in their homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the eucharistic host, the Christian sign of redemption); in a later tradition the wafers were replaced by cookies of various shapes. Candles, symbolic of Christ as the light of the world, were often added. In the same room was the “Christmas pyramid,” a triangular construction of wood that had shelves to hold Christmas figurines and was decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star. By the 16th century the Christmas pyramid and the paradise tree had merged, becoming the Christmas tree.
The custom was widespread among the German Lutherans by the 18th century, but it was not until the following century that the Christmas tree became a deep-rooted German tradition. Introduced into England in the early 19th century, the Christmas tree was popularized in the mid-19th century by German-born Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. The Victorian tree was decorated with toys and small gifts, candles, candies, popcorn strings, and fancy cakes hung from the branches by ribbons and by paper chains. Taken to North America by German settlers as early as the 17th century, Christmas trees were the height of fashion by the 19th century. They were also popular in Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and the Netherlands. In China and Japan, Christmas trees, introduced by Western missionaries in the 19th and 20th centuries, were decorated with intricate paper designs.
- from The Encyclopedia Britannica​
The "pre-Christan Celts" employed the symbol of the Cross as a decorative motif ... However, that is not evidence that Christians copied the pagan Celts when they adopted the Cross as a symbol for Christianity. People seem inclined to make the same false "leaps" when connecting other things to Christian Traditions.

The Ancient Chinese used evergreen wreaths ... does anyone seriously think that Medieval European peasants were copying the Ancient Chinese when they started decorating with evergreen wreaths? Is it more likely that both cultures naturally recognized the symbolism of an EVERGREEN branch in an ENDLESS LOOP as a natural symbol of life going on and on ...
 
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Ronald Nolette

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The "pre-Christan Celts" employed the symbol of the Cross as a decorative motif ... However, that is not evidence that Christians copied the pagan Celts when they adopted the Cross as a symbol for Christianity. People seem inclined to make the same false "leaps" when connecting other things to Christian Traditions.

The Ancient Chinese used evergreen wreaths ... does anyone seriously think that Medieval European peasants were copying the Ancient Chinese when they started decorating with evergreen wreaths? Is it more likely that both cultures naturally recognized the symbolism of an EVERGREEN branch in an ENDLESS LOOP as a natural symbol of life going on and on ...

Well the Druids have a legend that they buried one of their priests, and people dug him up and replaced him with a fir tree. When the druids came back the next day, they saw the grave tampered, so they opened the grave and found the tree and started to venerate it.

Also in the OT the pagans around Israel took fir trees, and decorated them in honor of their false gods. but yeah, It seems Luther was teh first to take the Christmas tree and turn it into a symbol for Jesus.
 

L.A.M.B.

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Ppl can make sin and idolatry out of anything they, themselves refuse to accept as clean. Not to say any holiday is clean nor unclean, but we do not celebrate them in any pagan worship or god.

The symbol of the cross as an ornament is sin to some just as are earrings & jewelry, tattoos, smoking ect.
Yet they refuse to examine their own lives. It seems as they are ALWAYS pointing out to others but not self.

It's these kinds of ppl that make the world say eeeh " christians".

I have been among these cheerless, hard nosed, stiff necked sort where they try to stifle the life out of ppl.

If we live in Christ he has set us free and we follow his markers.
Not all Jesus said and did is recorded in the word. We must ask his words on our life and how we can bring glory to God.
 
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Pearl

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CHRISTMAS COLOURS

The colours of Christmas,
Red, white, green and gold;
Each has a meaning
Where Christ’s story is told.

The gold is his royalty,
He’s the King of all kings;
Born in a stable,
Salvation he brings.

The white is his purity;
God’s own perfect pure light,
Which shines in the darkness
Abolishing night.

The red is his blood
Which was shed on that tree
To cleanse us from sin
And set us all free.

The evergreen branches
So fragrant and green
Mean life everlasting
For those he’s made clean.

Our Father in heaven
Came down from above
And lived as a man,
For such is his love.

So be quiet this Christmas,
Make room in your heart,
Allow Jesus to enter
For that shining new start.
 

Aunty Jane

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So despite the pagan origins of a fir tree in the house, we can use it as a glorious telling of the love of God and bring our family into a deeper love of God and use the brightness of the tree to seek to brighten our lives with His glory!
2 Corinthians 6:14-18....KJV...
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.


This is what God says......you are fusing “unclean” false worship with God’s worship....touching what is “unclean” from the His standpoint.......you can’t ever say that you are ignorant of this scripture.
 

Ronald Nolette

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2 Corinthians 6:14-18....KJV...
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.


This is what God says......you are fusing “unclean” false worship with God’s worship....touching what is “unclean” from the His standpoint.......you can’t ever say that you are ignorant of this scripture.
Well if I was worshipping Saturnalia or Saturn or Bacchus, I would agree with you. Nor am I worshipping a tree or its ornaments or Santa or materialism or any other false thing one can make an idol! So your argument is irrelevant.

They use plates in their sacrifices, so do you not use plates or use those tools of pagan worship in hypocrisy????
 
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Pearl

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Well if I was worshipping Saturnalia or Saturn or Bacchus, I would agree with you. Nor am I worshipping a tree or its ornaments or Santa or materialism or any other false thing one can make an idol! So your argument is irrelevant.

They use plates in their sacrifices, so do you not use plates or use those tools of pagan worship in hypocrisy????
To be honest I've wasted enough of my time arguing with these people and won't do it any more. They aren't going to budge from their cultish beliefs.
 

Aunty Jane

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Well if I was worshipping Saturnalia or Saturn or Bacchus, I would agree with you. Nor am I worshipping a tree or its ornaments or Santa or materialism or any other false thing one can make an idol! So your argument is irrelevant.

They use plates in their sacrifices, so do you not use plates or use those tools of pagan worship in hypocrisy????
Let’s see whether your justification concerning the borrowed celebrations of the pagans will work on the one who will judge all of us.....

As I said...none will be able to claim ignorance. You know full well that every celebration carried out in Christendom is the fusion of an ancient pagan ritual, covered over with a very thin veneer of “Christianity”.
What does it mean to “touch nothing unclean” from God’s standpoint?
You are looking to justify these things from a flawed human standpoint.....but that is your choice and you are free to make it. All our choices have consequences.
 

Ronald Nolette

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To be honest I've wasted enough of my time arguing with these people and won't do it any more. They aren't going to budge from their cultish beliefs.
Believe it or not several thousand year do get saved! Persistence in showing them teh Word allows the Holy Spirit to jack hammer through that thick wall of Watchtower indoctrination.
 
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Ronald Nolette

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Let’s see whether your justification concerning the borrowed celebrations of the pagans will work on the one who will judge all of us.....

As I said...none will be able to claim ignorance. You know full well that every celebration carried out in Christendom is the fusion of an ancient pagan ritual, covered over with a very thin veneer of “Christianity”.
What does it mean to “touch nothing unclean” from God’s standpoint?
You are looking to justify these things from a flawed human standpoint.....but that is your choice and you are free to make it. All our choices have consequences.
So you are saying a fir tree is an unclean thing then. If one was worshipping saturnalia or bacchus or saturn- I agree with you as I have said ad-nauseum. but all the physical things of Christmas are neither good nor evil. It is the value on places on things that make them good or evil.

A person can give his body to be burned for teh gospel, but if it was done to gain some kind of legacy fame, it was an evil act.

So even "good" things done with wrong motives can be evil. It is the motive that God looks at not the spuperficial externals like you are doing. That is nothing but a shallow weak faith as Paul said!

Romans 14

King James Version

14 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

1 Corinthians 10:19-31

King James Version

19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.
25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
26 For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.
27 If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
28 But if any man say unto you, this is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:
29 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?
30 For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Even here Paul is saying it is the motive that matters and not the superficial as you want to insist. If the tree lot or the owner of the land that you cut the tree down from dedicated all those trees to the devil, and told a believer- He should not buy! Other wise just like Pauls example of eating meat from the shambles- put up a tree! Meat sold in teh shambles was meat from teh pagan temples for the most part!
 

Aunty Jane

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@Ronald Nolette you may do as you wish, but nothing will alter God's position on the adoption of pagan worship, no matter what label you give it. Justification only works on the one justifying....not on the one you are trying to justify it to.....and God has made his position on this very clear, which means that the choice you and the rest of Christendom have made to continue to dishonor God's son by the adoption of the trappings of pagan worship is a deliberate choice....that is between you and our appointed judge. Justify it to him.
 

Pearl

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Believe it or not several thousand year do get saved! Persistence in showing them teh Word allows the Holy Spirit to jack hammer through that thick wall of Watchtower indoctrination.
do you know anybody saved through chatting on a forum, have you found anybody that took you seriously? - I haven;t they are too steeped in their false teachings. I do know that they can be reached by face to face encounters. I knew somebody who was once a JW and not supposed to meet with Christians but then one day a born again couple they were friends with called at their house and the Holy Spirit was evident and they were born again themselves and left the cult behind. I've also known people who used to be Muslims come to Christ after the Holy Spirit revealed the truth to them. But I don't think anybody on this site is likely to accept the truth. I have had long chats with JWs and Catholics but it's like casting pearls before the you know whats. A complete waste of my time when I could use it better to encourage and build up. I hadn't the heart for it anymore.
 

Ronald Nolette

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@Ronald Nolette you may do as you wish, but nothing will alter God's position on the adoption of pagan worship, no matter what label you give it. Justification only works on the one justifying....not on the one you are trying to justify it to.....and God has made his position on this very clear, which means that the choice you and the rest of Christendom have made to continue to dishonor God's son by the adoption of the trappings of pagan worship is a deliberate choice....that is between you and our appointed judge. Justify it to him.

Well you have as yet shown how people are worshipping false gods by bringing a tree in their house. If you can prove that fir trees are demonic in and of themselves I am willing to listen Other wise your argument is not biblical, it is shallow, and judgmental based on teh lies the Watchtower has indoctrinated you in.
 

Pearl

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Sorry about this but the world is going to hell and we waste time trying to spiritualise the Christmas tree.
John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Free even to have a Christmas tree if you want a tree; it's nothing but a pretty decoration, a tradition. It has no deeper meaning than that. And anybody who thinks otherwise have been grossly misled and enslaved by the words of some man.

To me this is what Christmas is all about:

Christmas – THE TRUTH

Magnificent, mighty, majestic and mild,
Our God came to earth and was born as a child.
His father a craftsman, his mother a maid
When the Son of God in her arms was first laid.

Heaven rejoiced at the birth of her King
And humble shepherds heard angel choirs sing.
They were led to his birthplace and gazing with awe,
Fell to their knees the new King to adore.

Noble kings from the east came following a star,
Bringing frankincense, gold and myrrh in a jar.
The shepherds so lowly, the magi so proud,
All honoured our Saviour with knees bent and heads bowed.

As the story of Christmas once more is re-told
Nobody needs to be left out in the cold.
All are invited to come to the King,
A penitent heart is all you need bring.

When you have given the gift of your heart,
He’ll wipe out your sin and you’ll get a new start.
This child in the manger lying on straw
Is the King of all kings, so regard him with awe.

For so many Christmas is a time to indulge;
To eat, drink and make merry until their tums bulge.
The real message of Christmas brings love, joy and release.
Give him your heart and you’ll know lasting peace.​
 

Pearl

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Well you have as yet shown how people are worshipping false gods by bringing a tree in their house. If you can prove that fir trees are demonic in and of themselves I am willing to listen Other wise your argument is not biblical, it is shallow, and judgmental based on teh lies the Watchtower has indoctrinated you in.
I think JWs or members of the Watch Tower organisation do not have the real Joy of Jesus in their lives; so much is man made rules and indoctrination into a false gospel. It is so sad that these sincere and genuine people don't have the benefits of knowing Jesus in a real and true personal way. They may know a lot about him but they don't have that personal relationship that makes all the difference between a dead religion and a living faith.
 
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Ronald Nolette

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I think JWs or members of the Watch Tower organisation do not have the real Joy or Jesus in their lives; so much is man made rules and indoctrination into a false gospel. It is so sad that these sincere and genuine people don't have the benefits of knowing Jesus in a real and true personal way. They may know a lot about him but they don't have that personal relationship that makes all the difference between a dead religion and a living faith.
That is why I keep pounding away. In the hopes that some may come to a saving relationship with Jesus. Paul wrote that he was burdened for the Jews for they had a zeal for God, but without knowledge! Same is true for many watchtower people. May God open the eyes of some who post here.
 

Pearl

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That is why I keep pounding away. In the hopes that some may come to a saving relationship with Jesus. Paul wrote that he was burdened for the Jews for they had a zeal for God, but without knowledge! Same is true for many watchtower people. May God open the eyes of some who post here.
Amen to that. I would love to see their eyes truly opened to the real, bright light of Jesus.
 
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