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Idols of the heart

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Jackie Lee:
 Below is Jeremiah 10:1-10:

 "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them. 3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. 4 They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. 5 Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good." 6 No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. 7 Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. 8 They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. 9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple-- all made by skilled workers. 10 But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath.

Are the above scriptures speaking of tree worshipers worshiping the creations rather than the creator?
Then it also sounds like a christmas tree any help will be appreciated.

Dave in Tenn:
This may not be help, but I'll type it anyway.

It does kinda sound like christmas trees, but I really don't know of anybody who worships christmas trees.  A spiritual witness to these verses is the admonition that God is Spirit and those that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth.

LOTS of things that aren't 'Spirit and Truth' exist in and around man and man made religion.  All of them spring from the natural (trees) and are dressed up with finery by craftsmen (priests and theologians) as a replacement for the Invisible God and His truth.  A lot of it even exists in us.

I hope you're not afraid of Christmas trees, or even of idols that men actually DO worship, as right there in the verses you quoted are the words "Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good." 6 No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power."

Now...it might harm the TREE to be cut down for adornment and worship, but it doesn't harm somebody who understands that THAT isn't God.

The thrust of these verses I'd summarize this way:  Forget all that stuff and get on with what is real.

 

Jackie Lee:
Thanks Dave, no I am ok and don't worship trees alive or dead. :)
I have an internet friend that uses this scripture to say no Christmas, she is a Messianic Jew.
I don't do much Christmas anyway but she is trying to get the message to me it is Pagan, along with Easter.

AK4:
IMO i think some people do at least make these christmas trees an idol of the heart, if not worship.  The christmas tree and the whole christmas season has a lot of pagan starts from druidism all the way to babylon gods worship.  Everything about it had some pagan start. Wreaths, mistle toe, etc.  The star on top represented the resurrection of the "mother god" son in babylon. So does easter, halloween, valentines day and so on.

They say the christmas season is about the spirit of Christ or something like that.  Easter the resurrection of Christ. 

You cant talk to some people about some of the paganism in those holidays because "its tradition and all about the family and the spirit of the season."  I tried to talk to my mom about that a year ago and she nearly bit my head off for not wanting to celebrate it.

One interesting thing i noticed, and this is just my opinion, I think satan cleverly reworded the Jewish days hol-Y-days to what is now hol-I-days.  Subtle changes.  Also changing the times and laws.

Dan 7:25  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:

I dont know, just my opinion

Anthony

carol v:
Hi Jackie Lee,

I believe that the verse is talking about making idols out of anything -- and there are millions adorning Christmas trees as a ritual every year. I used to be one. Many today have large "cross" collections or a giant cross hanging somewhere -- these should not be idols either.

That could lead me into a conversation about this woman I saw the other day with this giant "bling" cross hanging around her neck...but that's not really the subject here...but it made me a little sick to my stomach! :P

I know there are a lot of people on the forum that have given up all celebration of "religious" holidays as part of coming out of babylon. There is much scriptural support for this other than the one you mention in Jeremiah.

Also, if you will do a search on pagan Christmas traditions or pagan Easter traditions, you will find that everything we've been doing all these years is definitely pagan in origin. This is easy to search out for yourself. Christmas, Easter and even Hanukkah are never celebrated in Scripture. It is NO COINCIDENCE that Christmas and Hanukkah are celebrated at the winter solstice and Easter at the beginning of the planting season.

How does God feel about holidays (holy days):

Isa 1:13  Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Isa 1:14  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

Yes, God established many of these holidays Himself but as we move from the Law of Moses to the Law of the Spirit, God wants us to grow.

What does Paul tell us about holidays (holy days):

Gal 4:8  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.

Paul just told us that we did these things before we knew God and now that we know God, we should want to get out of these weak, beggarly and bondage traditions. I kind of like The Message version of this verse:

(MSG) Gal 4:9  But now that you know the real God--or rather since God knows you--how can you possibly subject yourselves again to those paper tigers?
Gal 4:10  For that is exactly what you do when you are intimidated into scrupulously observing all the traditions, taboos, and superstitions associated with special days and seasons and years.

I have thrown away every single decoration I had except a Christmas tree skirt and the stocking handmade by my mother when I was a child. They are in a cedar chest. I keep it as a warm memory of my mother who died many years ago.

But I still buy a small gift for my brother's family and my own kids. I also still have my boyfriend and his dad to a special dinner. I celebrated these holidays in full up to a few years ago and I don't feel the need to make some kind of statement with these people. I want them to know that they are still special. Especially Jeff's dad as he just wants to live out the short remainder of his life without a confrontation of any kind. They all know that I am somehow a "different" kind of Christian and believe in the salvation of all. They know I don't attend church. They know I don't own a Santa or an Easter bunny or decorate my house.

But by giving a gift or having a meal, I let them know they are special to me and accessible to talk to, ask questions, whatever -- not in a cult or listening to crazy lunatics on the internet ::)

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