Should Christians celebrate Easter?

Comment

Comment by God's Rocker on April 8, 2010 at 6:00am

For me ,yes Easter is recognised as a pagan and Christian holiday. What it is to you in your heart is all that matters , I celebrate Easter because it's the remembrance of our Lords work on the cross . I have no interest in bunnys that lay eggs or whatever other nonsense thats tied to the day or knowing the origins of such things . . It's what the day is to you that really matters I look at the good and see only the good because Jesus is good !

Comment by Craig Portwood on April 2, 2010 at 7:51pm

I do believe the scripture. It says that we must worship him in spirit and in truth. Not everyone is able to hear the truth but I must be in the truth always, in season and out of season. I do believe that we are on the verge of seeing the prophesied One World leader take his place. The time of tribulation is at hand.

I do believe that believers will only be able to play their part to the extent that they are willing to cast off all things heathen and return to God as he has said in his word.

May God bless you with all grace , wisdom and understanding.

Comment by Craig Portwood on April 2, 2010 at 9:20am

No offense taken. After what I have been through, one would have to work very hard to offend me. It's definitely not worth the effort to try!

God has a plan for each of us and my experience is that he makes his changes in our lives one issue at a time. Years ago, I was questioning God as to why my heart was not convicted about an issue in my life when my head was certain about it. The answer he gave me was that the issue was not the most important thing he wanted to change in me at the time.

Too often, believers seem to assume that what God is telling them must be the same thing he is telling me. I once offended a friend with a comment in response to his observation. He asked me "well why didn't God tell ME that?" My answer was "maybe God doesn't tell you everything."

Rather than believing that the questioning of what we believe to be God's leading is an "argument" with him, could it not be a way to grow in understanding? I know that had I not had questions of God relative to my understanding of his ways, I would never have experienced spiritual growth.

Too often, I fear that believers confuse faith with belief. They often refuse to examine their belief system out of fear that to do so is an abandonment of their faith. In my opinion, to hold to the same understandings we had when we first embraced the faith is much like the servant who buried his talent, refusing to risk it in the possibility that it might increase.

Please understand that I'm not saying any of this is true in your case, but I am raising the possibility that you might reflect on the matter.

I don't judge other believers in such matters. It is all I can do just to judge myself. A full time job to be sure!

Comment by Grace by the Lake on April 2, 2010 at 8:59am

Its ok. I have learned not to argue with Holy Spirit when He is leading me.Bad plan! We are all a work in progress and I guess He sees no reason to convict me on this for some reason at this point in my walk with our Lord.
I pray you take this with the Spirit it was intended. No disrespect to you brother Craig. I did read your article last week on the law that was passed in , I believe it might have been texas? where home church was outlawed.I agree with you wholeheartedly about that and I was disgusted to learn of it.It made my heart absolutely sick.
God bless you in all you do in the Name of our Lord and Saviour,Jesus Christ!
In His Grace,
Nancy

Comment by Craig Portwood on April 2, 2010 at 8:43am

Nancy,

We are going to have to disagree on this one. Of course, if you have read the article you already know that. Jeremiah 10 give a clear, concise argument as to the origin and spirit behind the Xmas tree. No, I don't call it Christmas because I don't see the Spirit of Christ in it.

And Linda Ruth,

I do keep the Passover. Christ kept it and that thing which the mainstream church calls "communion" was Passover. I do not keep it with Judaizers but with fellow believers in Christ. I agree with you on the search for leaven. I am amazed every year when during my examination of food labels, how many contain leaven. It is indeed an illustration of how sins can hide in places we rarely imagine them to hide.

Please understand that I do not judge others for their practice. I do bear witness as to what God has shown me regarding these things. I would exhort you to consider these things and take them to God to see if he would have you keep them.

Comment by Grace by the Lake on April 2, 2010 at 8:02am

I must say that God does not make it all that difficult to "Believe in the one He sent."
I have prayed many times about this kind of thing about Christmas and Easter and the Holy Spirit has never convicted me of putting up a Christmas tree and loving our Jesus not only on Christmas or Easter but every day.God STILL looks at the heart.The only ones who have tried to convict me of putting up a Christmas tree are humans.The enemy has attempted and succeeded some of mankind at making our celebration of our Jesus a bad thing. I celebrate Jesus every day of my life.I praise and worship Jesus and give thanksgiving to HIm and He is pretty much all I can ever think about.EVERY DAY including CHRISTMAS DAY AND EASTER.Christmas day as I open my envelope that I place under the tree the night before and read the blessings that God has blessed me with throughout the year,I feel nothing but the peace of God and then a human comes along and tells me this is wrong and I almost let it place ugliness and bad feelings within my heart.Yes there are many things in the Word of God that are VERY CLEAR are indeed wrong and you KNOW those things when they do not sit well with the Spirit God has placed inside of you.One of those things is WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART when you celebrate Christmas or Easter? Is it greed,materialism,just a day off work that means nothing to you? Or is it love,peace,joy,thanksgiving,and contentment in knowing that we are loved by the KING? The bottom line is we know who we are in Christ and that He loves us and the Holy Spirit He has sent to us to guide us will lead us and thus far every time this subject comes up HE leads me to say this

Finally, brothers, whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable
- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -
think about these things.
Phil 4:8 NIV

Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent

But to one who, not working [by the Law], trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God). Romans 4: 5

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2: 20

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. Galatians 2: 16

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10: 22

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2: 8

For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love. Galations 5: 6

What is in our hearts? GOD KNOWS what is there !!
Right now at this very moment take these words the Spirit is leading me to say,"Is it any wonder why a little child shall lead them."

I pray that any who read this take this with the Spirit it was intended.No disrespect intended.
I love you all
In Christ and In His Grace,
Nancy