It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas (sing it with me!). Everywhere we go. There’s a tree in the Grand Hotel,

one in the park as well, but if you have one in

your house you’re going to hell.

Yesterday a friend on Facebook asked me to add my opinion to her post regarding a passage in Jeremiah, and OF COURSE, I knew I had to discuss it with all of you!

Thus says the LORD: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile; for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple.

-Jeremiah 10:2-4

I remember years ago reading this portion of scripture. I became so convinced that having a Christmas tree in my house was complete disobedience to God that I threw my tree stand out, right along with my ornaments, lights, garland, and countless other Christmas paraphernalia. I was DONE celebrating this pagan holiday in which all anyone did was spend money, complain about spending money, and then complain some more when they didn’t get that one perfect gift. Where did Christ fall into all of this? What about His gift to us? And if I see one more fat bearded man in a red suit, why I’ll…….

Ok, so I can be quite dramatic and passionate in my beliefs. If only I could take that zeal and use it for the things that really DO matter. Yep, that‘s what I said, things that DO matter. Because honestly, a Christmas tree really is the least of our problems.

If we look closely at this portion of scripture, we find that the word workman (verse 3) is not referring to a lumberjack going out into the local field and chopping down a Christmas tree. No, this word speaks of “a fabricator of any material… carpenter… craftsman… engraver”.* This workman is someone who takes the chisel and forms a ‘tree’ into any number of different shapes. The issue being addressed here: don’t cut down a tree, form it into a god, decorate it with fine silver and gold, and worship it! I recall a similar situation in the scriptures, only it involved gold rings which were fashioned into a golden calf and worshiped as the god “that brought [the Israelites] out of the land of Egypt” (Ex 32:4). To say it is sin to have a Christmas tree in our home would be equal to professing sin on those that wear gold rings because someone once, thousands of years ago, used gold rings to make a false god.

Now that I have briefly shared my convictions, I challenge you to search the scriptures yourself, if you haven’t already, and seek God for His truth regarding this issue. However, with all of this comes a word of caution: wherever your convictions lead you, be fully convinced in your own mind and do not despise and judge others in their convictions (Rom 14:1-6). As with most things, I suppose this boils down to a heart issue- Please don’t worship your tree this season.

Oh, and Merry CHRISTmas from...

I anxiously anticipate hearing about your convictions on this issue, and where God has led or is leading you in this area. Please share! And if you want daily updates, ‘LIKE’ my Facebook page.



* Strong, James H. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House Company, 1989. Print. – (Hebrew #2796 charash, khaw-rawsh)

Images courtesy of: http://aboutmyrecovery.com/no-christmas-tree/, http://mitchellk.photoshelter.com/image/I0000XckwF8cX6CI

A People Who Worship

Last night my family watched a National Geographic documentary entitled ‘Inside North Korea’ with reporter Lisa Ling. You can view this documentary on Netflix as we did or on YouTube by clicking here. You will be overwhelmed by the things you experience through this short, powerful video.

The citizens of North Korea live in oppression, poverty, and slavery under a dictator they fear, yet revere. They are allowed no communication with the outside world: no TV, no cell phones, no internet, and the only observed literature are books written by Kim Il-sung, North Korea’s preceding leader and father of the current leader Kim Jong Il. Reporter Lisa Ling enters the country with an eye doctor on a mission: to give sight to the blind by performing surgery to over one-thousand cataract sufferers in only ten days. Secretly she is attempting far more than to simply accomplish this medical feat; Ling hopes to get an inside look at the life, people, and leadership of North Korea.

During their ten days, the team is closely monitored and kept under strict supervision. Nevertheless, they are granted permission to visit the home of an elderly blind woman awaiting surgery. When questioned about her loss of vision and desire to see again, her heartfelt response is of her hope to again lay eyes on her cherished leader Kim Jong Il. This reaction is seen repeatedly as the documentary reveals suffering, wounded, stricken citizens of an impoverished country offering great thankfulness and devotion to an iron fisted dictator.  It is mindboggling to witness patient after patient receive their sight, then drop to their knees, hands raised, in worship and thanksgiving to a hanging portrait of Kim Jong Il, as if he himself were their god and healer.  

How can this be?  Why are thousands of uncared for individuals who suffer starvation and the risk of being captured and thrown into concentration camps for the simplest offense, honoring and worshiping the very man responsible for this neglect and terror? How can these men and women raise their children to love, respect, and advocate for a man of such evil intent? Is it because they know nothing else?  Could it be that these people have no idea what health, freedom, joy, or life is?

Scripture says God has placed eternity in their hearts (Eccl 3:11) and that all creation (including those of North Korea) groans for deliverance from the bondage of this life (Rom 8:21-22). Are the people of North Korea worshipping the only ‘deity’ they’ve ever known simply because their Creator fashioned them to do so? God has built within us a desire to worship and these people are doing just that. Sadly they are worshiping a false god while yearning for the true God; a God unknown to them. I pray the eyes of North Korea will be opened to turn to their unknown God, just as Paul proclaimed to the people of Athens: “I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands” (Acts 17:23-24).

I likewise pray that our country would turn from the gods of this life: riches, pleasure, pride, envy, sexual sin, murder, and turn to the true God, the Creator, the One who fashioned and formed us to love, worship, honor, and spend eternity with Him. I pray we turn from the gods that tear us down to the God that builds us up.