His response was unfortunate. Mistletoe, holly: “The Druids ascribed magical properties to the mistletoe in particular. Interestingly, the authors of the Bible seem to have struggled with this issue as well, with different perspectives being presented in different passages. consults ghosts or spirits, or calls up the dead.” Share The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. . TERMS OF USE They are greedy, rebellious, unsubmissive, wicked, adulterous, gossiping, slandering, and sexually immoral women. The first foundation was jasper, the sec… Would you like to read this article in %%? Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Christmas? SOME PEOPLE SAY that control by the Devil is a hoax, while others dread being possessed by evil spirits.What do you think? By way of contrast, the Bible never attributes the creation of rasha’ or “moral wickedness” to God. Instead of yielding to the convicting influence of the Spirit, he snapped under the pressure and gave vent to his hatred. December 25: There is no proof that Jesus was born on that date. The New King James Version makes this explicit with the translation, “I make peace and create calamity.” The same word is used in Lamentations 3:38 (KJV), where the prophet Jeremiah declares that both “evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the host High.”. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) The Devil exerts great influence over mankind, but he does not control every human.WHAT ELSE CAN WE LEARN FROM THE BIBLE? It might be fair to say that God pushed Saul to this point. What Does the Bible Say About Christmas? Some point to these references as evidence that celebrating birthdays is wrong; since both men were non-believing individuals, their birthday celebrations are seen as some form of pagan ritual. 3. Celebrating Jesus’ birthday: “The early Christians did not celebrate [Jesus’] birth because they considered the celebration of anyone’s birth to be a pagan custom.”—The World Book Encyclopedia. As The Westminster Confession of Faith puts it, the Lord “freely and unchangeably ordain[s] whatsoever comes to pass: yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established” (Chapter III, section 1). God invites us to acknowledge our pain. Some people say no. The evergreen holly was worshiped as a promise of the sun’s return.”—The Encyclopedia Americana. When the Lord says (in the King James Version), “I make peace, and create evil,” the Hebrew word employed is ra’ah. The Bible shows that we offend God if we try to worship him in a way that he does not approve of.—Exodus 32:5-7. Focus on the Family has a staff of pastoral counselors who would love to speak with you over the phone. Herein lies yet another illustration of the mysterious relationship between human free will and the sovereignty of God. In light of everything we’ve said, we know that when I Samuel 18:10 asserts that “an evil spirit from God came upon Saul,” it cannot possibly mean that God is the source of wickedness or sin. Doesn't that make Him responsible for our sins? After all, the Bible affirms that He also hardened the heart of Pharaoh (Exodus 7:3). Bible verses about evil women Scripture lets us know to stay away from evil women. Audio download options Find out why Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t. (Read More...) Proverbs 28:1-28 - The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. Church leaders likely chose this date to coincide with pagan festivals held on or around the winter solstice. As McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia states: “The observance of Christmas is not of divine appointment, nor is it of NT [New Testament] origin.”.  |  What Every Christian Ought to Know Day by Day: Essential Truths for Growing Your Faith, The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters, Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know, What the Bible Teaches: The Truths of the Bible Made Plain, Simple, and Understandable, The Bible Answer Book  God may have any number of reasons for weaving ra’ah, or hardships and difficulties, into the fabric of human experience. The Bible cautions us to repress evil thoughts and think on good things. The faithful man Timothy, for example, suffered “frequent cases of sickness.” (1 Timothy 5:23) But the Bible does not say that this was a sign of God’s disfavor. Simply put, God’s people are to separate themselves from such sinful practices as are done on the Day of the Dead and so avoid the wrath to come on those who do them (Revelation 18:4). (Read More...) Ecclesiastes 12:14 - For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil. Why not? Man had to be an entity entirely separate from God. The same word is used in Lamentations 3:38 (KJV), where the prophet Jeremiah declares that both “ evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the host High.” By way of contrast, the Bible never attributes the creation of rasha’ or “moral wickedness” to God. Many people celebrate Christmas despite knowing its origins. Copyright © 2021 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Have Focus on the Family resources helped you or your family? As we have already seen, the Bible warns us not to consult with (or make inquiries of) the dead, as is often done on the Day of the Dead. That is to say, we distort the Bible and do ourselves a profound disservice by minimizing the existence of suffering. Who Were the “Three Wise Men”? Did God create evil? Gift-giving, feasting, partying: The Encyclopedia Americana says: “Saturnalia, a Roman feast celebrated in mid-December, provided the model for many of the merry-making customs of Christmas. Kill every desire for the wrong kind of sex.” (Colossians 3:5, Contemporary English Version) To kill wrong desires, which lead to wrong actions, you need to control your thinking. He was wrestling with the Lord and with his own bitterness and resentment toward David. From this celebration, for example, were derived the elaborate feasting, the giving of gifts, and the burning of candles.” The Encyclopædia Britannica notes that “all work and business were suspended” during Saturnalia. Ruach elohim is the phrase normally used in the Old Testament to denote the Holy Spirit – see, for example, Genesis 1:2. 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