04 December 2022
Two-Minute Features | 11 December 2022

The History of the Christmas Festive Atmosphere (TMF:SE20)

Friday, December 09, 2022
Peace to Live By: The History of the Christmas Festive Atmosphere (TMF:SE20) - Daniel Litton
(Tap or right-click link to download two-minute feature)

       It certainly is true that the festive atmosphere surrounding Christmas—the ornaments of Christmas lights and candles, mistletoes, and even the Christmas tree—these things in and of themselves are rooted in pagan (non-Christian) traditions, or cultural traditions, and really have no connection to the birth of Christ (Nissenbaum, p. 5). Nonetheless, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the partaking or celebrating of Christmas with these kinds of items is wrong. Truly, again, it’s the heart attitude that counts. If we use these items to celebrate Christmas, and do it unto the Lord, we are in the right. I think most people don’t even know why they celebrate Christmas with these things, besides the fact that maybe it is because they were raised to do that, or because that’s what everyone else around them does. But I think a lot of people have these decorations because they want to honor Christ; they really want to celebrate and remember what God has done for us, and for the whole world. And these items bring in the mood and expression of that.

Reference
Nissenbaum, Stephen. (1996). The Battle for Christmas. New York: Vintage Books.

Observing Christmas Day in Honor of the Lord (TMF:SE19)

Thursday, December 08, 2022
Peace to Live By: Observing Christmas Day in Honor of the Lord (TMF:SE19) - Daniel Litton
(Tap or right-click link to download two-minute feature)

       Whosoever would want to celebrate Christmas is in the right, so long as one has the right attitude toward it. And, likewise, whosoever doesn’t want to celebrate it either would not be in the wrong. Turn over to Romans chapter 14. Let’s look a passage here. The Apostle Paul states: “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:5-8, ESV). So, then, it’s important for us to remind ourselves of God’s truth behind Christmas when we celebrate it, when we give gifts to others, so that we we can observe Christmas Day in honor of the Lord.

History Behind the Celebration of Christmas, Part 2 (TMF:SE18)

Wednesday, December 07, 2022
Peace to Live By: History Behind the Celebration of Christmas, Part 2 (TMF:SE18) - Daniel Litton
(Tap or right-click link to download two-minute feature)

       An excellent read about the history of Christmas, and particularly the American history, is a book titled ‘The Battle for Christmas’ by Stephen Nissenbaum. I recommend this book to anyone to read. We know that Christmas, as a holiday, originally became a reality in the fourth century (Nissenbaum, 1996, p. 4). This is when the Christian church decided to recognize Christmas, and the day of celebration was placed on December 25, as this was around the period of time that the Winter season began. Now, here in America, the first Americans, the Pilgrims, who were Puritans, didn’t celebrate Christmas and in fact believed it to be a sin to do so. This is because in their eager legalism, they believed that since the date of December 25 for the birth of Christ doesn’t appear in the Bible, that it was wrong to therefore celebrate the holiday. While they were correct in stating that December 25 for the birth of Christ doesn’t appear in the Bible, I think what God really cares about here is the heart attitude we are displaying when we celebrate Christmas. We have made Christmas to be all out giving, and with that attitude, we are in the right.

Reference
Nissenbaum, Stephen. (1996). The Battle for Christmas. New York: Vintage Books.

History Behind the Celebration of Christmas, Part 1 (TMF:SE17)

Tuesday, December 06, 2022
Peace to Live By: History Behind the Celebration of Christmas, Part 1 (TMF:SE17) - Daniel Litton
(Tap or right-click link to download two-minute feature)

       We had separated ourselves from God by our sin, but Jesus makes possible a resorted relationship. Verse 17, in John chapter 3, states: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (ESV). Anyone, then, who believes in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins can be saved from any of God’s wrath to come in the future. But before we touch on this a little more, while we are on the subject of history today, I thought it might be beneficial for us to understand some of the history behind the celebration of Christmas and especially in America. An excellent read about the history of Christmas, and particularly the American history, is a book titled ‘The Battle for Christmas’ by Stephen Nissenbaum. I recommend this book to anyone to read, and I will be relying on some of the author’s information today to carry us along through the American roots of Christmas. We know that Christmas, as a holiday, originally became a reality in the fourth century (Nissenbaum, 1996, p. 4).

Reference
Nissenbaum, Stephen. (1996). The Battle for Christmas. New York: Vintage Books.

Remembering the Real Meaning Behind Christmas (TMF:SE16)

Monday, December 05, 2022
Peace to Live By: Remembering the Real Meaning Behind Christmas (TMF:SE16) - Daniel Litton
(Tap or right-click link to download two-minute feature)

       It’s important for us to remember the real meaning behind Christmas, the most important gift given of all time, and this is the gift God gave to us, of his Son, whom he sent into the world to save us. This really is at the heart of our gift-giving, or it should be. Remember what the Apostle John has told us in his Gospel, the most famous verse of the whole Bible. You know it by heart. He said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV). Yes, God loved the world then, some 2,000 years ago, and he loves the world today. He wants everyone to be in right relationship with him, and he, sending his Son into the world, made this possible. We had separated ourselves from God by our sin, but Jesus makes possible a resorted relationship. Verse 17, in John chapter 3, states: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (ESV).