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The Axe At The Root

“God is good.”

“God is for you and not against you”

“I am who he says I am.”

Do not mean that God is also not wholly determined to crush every part of us that is not of him.

Every motive, every dream, every ambition, every talent. That is not of him and is solely of us must be crushed and overturned within us. We cannot out of goodwill apply our “goodness” (which is not really goodness at all) to him and his purposes.

Don’t be deceived by ear tickling doctrines. And don’t blame the devil when this happens.

Our religious “goodness” must be upended, uprooted, chopped down and burned up.

“The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭3:10‬ ‭NASB‬‬

It’s a principle that Jesus began when in the flesh. It’s the principle of travail, death and resurrection.

Then after this travail and daily death he has an empty vessel that he can live through.

It’s his resurrection in our human vessel.

And then his kingdom can be established and increase in the earth through us.

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God’s Strategy For Evangelism

When Jesus said “go into all the world and preach the gospel.”

I think we often assume he was talking about events similar to what is recorded in Acts 2. When Peter addressed a crowd who were watching a Christian meeting at Pentecost. We then aspire to that sort of meeting and try to duplicate and engineer this in our churches.

In response to the crowds questions about what they were seeing. This crowd of 3000 immediately became Christian’s.

But more-so in response to Peters 3 minute address they were cut to the heart by what they observed.

I think what happened on that day was that non-Christians were watching a real spirit-led meeting of Christians. It was not a Peter-led meeting. They actually saw God in action in theses people, and it was undeniable that God was among them, because of the miracles they could not help but come to him.

“And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?

And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:6-8, 12‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Evangelicals seem to think getting people out of hell through great sermons is the do all, be all, end all, trump card for church-related ministry. These particular ends justify any means. And if some question this logic and strategy we are seen as a selfish or foolish.

But I say with confidence that preaching sermons and ‘altar calls’ are not the Lord’s main strategy to build his ecclesia, they never were.

Instead groups of Christians being led of the spirit, declaring Jesus one by one in order. This is what the Lord set up.

The Spirit is Jesus himself leading Christian meetings, this is what he wants. This is the evangelism strategy from the Lord.

The most effective evangelism is non-Christians observing spirit-led meetings.

Paul also specifically taught his churches along these lines.

“But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14:24-25‬

God among mankind, this is Gods strategy for evangelism. This is what all of creation is waiting for, longing for and eager to see.

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Jesus Feast
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Jesus Christ the Real Holiday

Halloween Peer Pressure

This year we got pressure from our kids to celebrate Halloween. It was essentially peer pressure because our church pulled a 180 on celebrating that holiday. They had always not celebrated, and taught accordingly, and we (my wife and I) had always agreed with them on that.

So I decided to study Halloween and the other Christian holidays (like Christmas and Easter.) more deeply and seek the Lord about them.

A brief review of this holiday: As the medieval church expanded their influence and power into Europe the authorities over the church created All Saints Day, Christmas and Easter from existing pagan religious festivals as a way to keep the locals happy.

As they expanded it was like, “ok you can keep your pagan holy day feast but we will tweak it a little to make it acceptable to us.”

The Roman government had been great at merging religions for millennia and the Roman Catholic Church just continued that tradition.

It was essentially about authoritarian-minded church/govt leaders expanding power and securing loyalty. There probably were objections but they were likely marginalized or murdered.

All Saints day was and is still rejected as a Christian holiday by many Protestants because of prayer to the dead. Halloween was simply the eve of that holiday when many dark and evil things were (and are still) done.

Among evangelicals that resistance seems to be fading as evangelical leaders scramble to reach more people. But I digress.

Just Make it About Jesus… right?

There are similar stories with Christmas and Easter. Christians from the Middle Ages, adopted a religious festival, made it about Jesus (or dead Christians) and everyone was happy. Win-win right?

But what about now? Looking back on how our holidays originated can be troubling, these holy days are not in scripture. And their original festivals were often quite evil and sometimes still are; along the lines of human sacrifice, witchcraft and Satan worship.

Should they have ever “made it about Jesus” or shunned it as evil and shut it down? And what about today?

Most Christians I know don’t care about this question, “lighten up and eat some candy” is the mindset of most on Halloween. But among those who feel its wrong, it can be quite controversial.

Fortunately I think there is reference to this question in the New Testament. The particular holidays/ festivals were different but do I think the principle is the same.

“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a (mere) shadow of the things that were to come; the reality (the substance), however, is found in Christ.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:16-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Jewish Festivals

So the Jewish festivals originated by God in the Torah were a mere foreshadow of who was to come. They were a shadow of the coming Jesus Christ. The yearly festivals were telling about the coming reality that is Jesus Christ.

They were instituted by the Lord for the purpose of pointing and reminding God’s people of the one who was to come, the messiah, Jesus Christ.

This is also true of the Sabbath, Jesus Christ is THE sabbath rest now. Jesus Christ is THE year of Jubilee now, Jesus Christ is the feast of tabernacles now and all the others.

Constant celebration of Jesus Christ s better than celebrating these special days or holidays. He is a perpetual holiday, a perpetual day of rest. Is not that the most wonderful thing you’ve heard about the holidays in a while ?!?!

So should or can this great truth be true of the pagan festivals also? Even the ones that began as demonic and murderous? The Old Testament feasts of Israel sometimes predated and were copied all over the world in the other religions. They were then twisted to appease each god in the region, which usually involved human torture and sacrifice. Some of these festivals were turned into our modern holidays.

Celebrating holidays while excluding Jesus from the celebration is in fact an acknowledgement that a person does not grasp the magnitude of who we have in Jesus Christ. Even so called Christians do this. Who really thinks much about Jesus on Christmas or Easter? Beyond that even celebrating while thinking of Christ is questionable to some.

Is this really an issue?

As far as God is concerned, unless there is open demon worship and willful sin, I think holidays are a non-issue. He has already spoke on all the holidays, feasts, festivals and holy days.

His final take on them all is Jesus Christ, the real holiday, the perpetual daily holiday. Celebrating Jesus Christ, seeking him first, making him Lord among us and everywhere and constantly is His final word on the holidays. This is the end of the discussion on holidays.

But, I can hear some say “but until we all get to that, can or should we or should we not celebrate holy days (holidays)?”

The answer to that is it’s a matter of conscience. And so its a matter of weak conscience to demand holiday observance (judging one another as strange or uptight) or to prohibit holiday observance (judging one another as Godless).

If we DO NOT celebrate holidays or special days we should not judge the people who do. If we DO celebrate we should not pressure and judge people who do not.

We don’t pray to the dead or celebrate witchcraft so I believe that should exclude Halloween on its own merits.

Jesus Christ The Real Holiday

Back to the real issue in this. Jesus Christ is the new holiday, he is the new day of rest, he is the new going door to door giving of gifts. He is the new feast with family and friends and thanksgiving. He is the new celebration of the springing up of new life in the springtime (Easter).

If we celebrate him constantly with family and with friends… if we have a real ecclesia centered on him the. we don’t need special days. Because He is the special holiday today and every day from now on and forevermore.

Please comment below!

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