I really look forward to celebrating a holiday (with the exception of Labor Day) where people actually commemorate the real reason for the time given to observe.
On New Year's, it's about the glorification of drunkenness... Valentine's Day, giving a card to that one person you fight with every other day of the rest of the year... St. Patrick's Day, drunkenness again... Easter, it's bunnies and chocolate... Memorial Day, drunkenness and Indy 500... Thankfully my birth month is free of "day off" holidays... But who really celebrates Mother's Day or Father's Day anymore with anything more than a phone call and/or a card?
Then we come to July 4th, the remembrance of our nations independence... Say it with me, a celebration of drunkenness, and to mix it up a bit, there's explosives thrown into the mix... August is another month off, getting us ready for Labor Day, which I mentioned above - that is, ironically, the only holiday of the year actually celebrated properly, while it would be more accurately named "No Labor Day"...
Then there's Halloween, which has some measure of debate surrounding it, however, the celebration of candy isn't exactly glorifying death if those who believe the holiday is about ghouls and goblins are right, now is it?
Then, we come to Thanksgiving, which only has debate involved if you're willing to believe the revisionist historians who would rather recognize the revised Mayflower Compact than the original, and ignore the reason why the original settlers came to America in the first place... Hint, it wasn't for the turkey and stuffing OR the football games... (sorry Packers fans)
And we cannot forget Christmas, which is undoubtedly a celebration of all things materialistic, not only in America, but around the world... Families do gather to talk about peace on earth and goodwill toward men, but it has nothing to do with the birth, death and resurrection of the God-man Jesus Christ... Once again, another holiday is centered on us... How we can be happy, contented, fulfilled, loved... Without any thought of the sacrifice that was made to give us the right to act so selfishly...
This Independence Day, consider the men and women who have fought to defend your right to celebrate any day of the year, not just holidays, in any fashion you would choose... This is a freedom you have, that is certainly fleeting...
And consider the One who gave His life as a ransom for your own. Jesus Christ died and rose again to satisfy God's wrath for the sins you've committed... And unless you repent of those sins, and trust in Him for your salvation, you will spend eternity wishing you had redeemed those holidays with thanksgiving a praise for the One who gave you life and every good thing you have...
Personally, I cannot wait (figuratively speaking of course) what a beautiful day that will be...
Look to Him, not to yourself, for forgiveness... He is rich in mercy, not willing that any should perish... But the times of ignorance He has overlooked, and now commands that everyone everywhere repent of their sins.
Then we come to July 4th, the remembrance of our nations independence... Say it with me, a celebration of drunkenness, and to mix it up a bit, there's explosives thrown into the mix... August is another month off, getting us ready for Labor Day, which I mentioned above - that is, ironically, the only holiday of the year actually celebrated properly, while it would be more accurately named "No Labor Day"...
Then there's Halloween, which has some measure of debate surrounding it, however, the celebration of candy isn't exactly glorifying death if those who believe the holiday is about ghouls and goblins are right, now is it?
Then, we come to Thanksgiving, which only has debate involved if you're willing to believe the revisionist historians who would rather recognize the revised Mayflower Compact than the original, and ignore the reason why the original settlers came to America in the first place... Hint, it wasn't for the turkey and stuffing OR the football games... (sorry Packers fans)
And we cannot forget Christmas, which is undoubtedly a celebration of all things materialistic, not only in America, but around the world... Families do gather to talk about peace on earth and goodwill toward men, but it has nothing to do with the birth, death and resurrection of the God-man Jesus Christ... Once again, another holiday is centered on us... How we can be happy, contented, fulfilled, loved... Without any thought of the sacrifice that was made to give us the right to act so selfishly...
This Independence Day, consider the men and women who have fought to defend your right to celebrate any day of the year, not just holidays, in any fashion you would choose... This is a freedom you have, that is certainly fleeting...
And consider the One who gave His life as a ransom for your own. Jesus Christ died and rose again to satisfy God's wrath for the sins you've committed... And unless you repent of those sins, and trust in Him for your salvation, you will spend eternity wishing you had redeemed those holidays with thanksgiving a praise for the One who gave you life and every good thing you have...
Personally, I cannot wait (figuratively speaking of course) what a beautiful day that will be...
Look to Him, not to yourself, for forgiveness... He is rich in mercy, not willing that any should perish... But the times of ignorance He has overlooked, and now commands that everyone everywhere repent of their sins.
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