The real meaning of the 12 Days of Christmas

On Ask The Pastor, this comes up almost every year at Christmas, and people have asked me for this, so here it is... the real meaning of the 12 Days of Christmas...

It dates from a time of religious persecution. The song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," was written as a kind of secret catechism that could sing in public without fear of arrest - a learning or memory aid to Christians in fact. The song can be taken at two levels of interpretation - the surface meaning, or the hidden meaning known only to the Christians involved. Each element is a code word for a religious truth.

1. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus.
2. The two turtledoves are the Old and New Testaments.
3. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.
4. The four calling birds are the four Gospels.
5. The five gold rings recall the Hebrew Torah (Law), or the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament.
6. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.
7. The seven swans a-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
8. The eight maids a-milking are the eight Beatitudes.
9. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
10. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
11. Eleven pipers piping represent the eleven faithful Apostles.
12. Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed. 

If you think Jesus being symbolized as a partridge in a pear tree sounds blasphemous, remember: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so." (Luke 13:34 and Matthew 23:34) The "true love" in the song refers to God Himself. The "me" receiving the gifts is every Christian. So that "silly" song we sing at Christmas time has more meaning than we thought.

Funny Christmas videos

I love a good laugh, and there are some videos that make me laugh right now as we approach Christmas, here's my list:

Mr. Bean's Nativity scene

The Skit Guys The Brothers Marley

The Santa Clause with Tim Allen - it's the trailer, but the movies make me laugh! All 3 of them!

There are others, but these are my favourites. If you haven't seen the movies of the Santa Clause (yes all 3) and Mr Bean's Christmas? You have a lot of catching up to do!

Yes, I know Christmas is all about Jesus and his birth, there is some fun we can have too though. Merry Christmas!

Dealing with loss at Christmas

This thought came ringing true this week while I was on the air. A listener had heard the song by Chris Tomlin "I Will Rise" and called in about it. It was touching to him as he had just lost his mother within the past week. It reminded me that there are a lot of people this time of year who deal with loss - whether as our listener this week with very recent loss, or as others who I know are remembering someone they lost about this time of year in the past. 

Some churches have memorial services to remember those who have gone on before us at this time of year to help ease the pain of loss so that Christmas isn't a sad memory for them, but rather a celebration still of Jesus and of the life of the person they lost.

How can people have peace this time of year when dealing with loss? The loss of a loved one or a job or something else? We turn to God. Only we as believers have hope beyond the pain, it is a hope that only Jesus can give through the power of the Holy Spirit. As John 14:27 says, 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

We are given a peace in times of trials and loss that the world simply cannot understand apart from Christ. So to those who are dealing with loss this time of year, of loved ones or employment or something else, may the Lord be with you at this time. I don't say that as a pat answer, but to encourage you that there is hope and peace that you can claim in Jesus today. 

God bless.

Giving Tuesday

We've had Black Friday, and we'll have Cyber Monday soon. But here's something new to try out... Giving Tuesday! I know... what? Giving Tuesday. I heard it on one of our commercials and thought what a great tradition to start! it's defined as (by Giving Tuesday.ca) "a new Canadian movement for giving and volunteering, taking place each year after Cyber Monday. The “Opening day of the giving season,” it is a day where charities, companies and individuals join together to share commitments, rally for favourite causes and think about others."

So why not start this with your home? I think we'll do it with ours! Sounds like a great idea, and very Biblical as believers we're called to look after those in need - widows, orphans, the poor and destitute. Giving Tuesday helps put Christmas back in focus after the madness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

I like it! If you want to go to the Giving Tuesday website, you can donate to Life by typing in the charity name of Trust Communications Ministries, Barrie, ON, and you can enter any donation amount. We will be notified by them. Cool!

Christmas Flash Mobs!

I don't know about you but I love those Flash Mobs at Christmas time in malls. This one was great - right beside Santa Clause who sat there looking dejected while Christian Christmas Carols were sung all around him!

Here's another one...

And another...

So many great Christmas flash mob videos to surprise people! I once tried this with a few members of my college choir when I was at Word of Life Bible Institute. We were on tour for the Christmas show Ring the Bells and when we tried it we got told by security to stop. Even though they liked it, they said another group had booked the place.

So in order to do a Flash Mob you have to book it, you can't just show up and start singing. Too bad. I'd love to so this myself sometime! Anyone interested in organizing one?

Red Poppy White Poppy

Red Poppy White Poppy...

Hard to believe there's a controversy surrounding the poppy. Yet there is a group made up mainly of university students who try to say that the Red poppy "glorifies war." Seriously? Since when did the poppy become a symbol for promoting war? When I grew up it was always taught as the flower that was growing in Flanders Fields where soldiers died and they grew between the crosses where soldiers lay. How is that glorifying war?

Seem to me these "educated" students have learned the wrong lesson.

It has bothered those in the military because they have had this Red poppy as their symbol to remember those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms, and for those who still do. 

I live in a military community and this to me would seem like a sap in the face to them. "Your poppy isn't good enough... so wear the white one instead!" What a statement to make. Disappointing.

The Bible talks about those who have been killed in living out their faith for the Lord from the Old Testament (Able) to the New Testament (John exiled on Patmos) and we have modern accounts of those who die for their faith. Imagine someone said to us - sorry your symbol of the cross isn't good enough - use this instead because you're glorifying death? 

I have a lot of respect for the military and this just seems silly to me.

On Remembrance Day I'll be wearing a RED Poppy. 

Thoughts on Halloween - 2013 edition

Thoughts on Halloween 2013

From: Original post from Nov 5, 2010, 8:32pm

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Okay, so here's the deal. Every Oct 31 churches go through the debate - should we or shouldn't we participate in Halloween? While I don't agree with dressing up as something like a zombie or vampire or so on, I do think we can use Halloween as a time to be a witness. It's amazing that some people think it is a religious holiday. Maybe for the church of Satan and so on, but not Christians. I respect when people choose not to be part, not hand out candy, not allow their kids to go out trick or treating and so on. For them it is the right thing to do.
For us as a family, we have always tried to use this as a means to witness for God on a night when it is usually not seen as such. I will carve Christian themes into pumpkins such as the image of Christ, a cross, a crown of thorns and nails, or something like that. My boys are allowed to go out as long as they dress as something from the Bible or something Christian themed.
Another thing we did was to play Life 100.3 FM throughout the entire time of kids coming the door. A night when the atmosphere is usually not glorifying to God, we made a statement to praise God and be that light in the darkness with what we did. I have done this type of thing since before I got married, and my family carries on the tradition now. Just one way to bring the Light of the Gospel out on a night when it would usually be forgotten.

 Here we are again. I thought it would be interesting to see if any of my posts from 3 years ago and more have change about this issue. Today we still hold to the notion of not hiding in our homes on this day. We will have Life 100.3 playing on our porch, we'll have Christian themed pumpkin carvings with the candle light shining the truth of Jesus to anyone who comes to our door. Our kids still have to dress up as something or someone from the Bible, or a Christian superhero like Bibleman or Angel Wars or Archangels comics series. 

We have thought about handing out tracts - and we have before with candy. I don't hand out ones that show grimacing images to turn people off, but friendly ones that share about Jesus love and what He saves us from. 

I know some people won't do anything and just stay home or go to a Halloween alternative party instead - and that's fine. What does the Bible say? 

Romans 14:5-7 (NIV)

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.

So if you are convinced that not participating in any way is right for you - then go with that, if you think you can make a difference by doing something like what we do - do that. Go with your convictions is what Scripture says to do. Whatever you decide about this - I would ask you (and I) do not say the other person is wrong. Respect the conclusion they have come to. God bless!

Pastor Andrew


By the way... here's a history lesson on the day...

Halloween originated with the ancient religion of the Celtics in Ireland. The Celtic people were very conscious of the spiritual world and had their own ideas of how they could gain access to it - such as by helping their over 300 gods to defeat their enemies in battle, or by imitating the gods in showing cleverness and cunning. It was originally called Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween) at the end of summer (Nov. 1). They believed Samhain was a time when the division between the two worlds became very thin, when hostile supernatural forces were active and ghosts and spirits were free to wander as they wished.
"During this interval the normal order of the universe is suspended, the barriers between the natural and the supernatural are temporarily removed, the sidh lies open and all divine beings and the spirits of the dead move freely among men and interfere sometimes violently, in their affairs"
(Celtic Mythology, p. 127).
During the Festival of Samhain, fires would be lit which would burn all through the winter and sacrifices would be offered to the gods on the fires, this would include animal and sometimes human sacrifice. Note, that sacrifices still occur on Halloween even here in North America, but by other cults and Satanic rituals now. This would happen just down the road only about 10 – 20 mintues away from the Bible college I went to in New York State for a year. We would be praying on our campus while these types of animal sacrifices would be happening not far away.
As the influence of Christianity spread into Celtic lands, in the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs, to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. In 834, Gregory III moved All Saint's Day from May 13 to Nov. 1 and for Christians, this became an opportunity for remembering before God all the saints who had died and all the dead in the Christian community. Oct. 31 thus became All Hallows' Eve ('hallow' means 'saint').
In 1517, a monk named Martin Luther honored the faithful saints of the past by choosing All Saints Day (November 1) as the day to publicly charge the Church heirarchy with abandoning biblical faith. This became known as "Reformation Day," a fitting celebration of the restoration the same biblical faith held by the saints throughout church history.
What should Christians do with Halloween?
As an alternative to the celebration of evil and death, Christians should rather do what Christians are supposed to do every day and that is shine the light of Jesus Christ. We should emphasize the Christian influences and strive to make Hallow's Eve a celebration of the acts of God through his people the saints. We should make it a day when acts of charity and a day that emphasizes the light of Christ instead of the darkness of evil. A day when people meditate on the acts of Godly people instead of ghosts and goblins.
http://www.jeremiahproject.com/culture/halloween.html

So why have a Halloween Alternative like All Saints’ Day? To celebrate those who have gone before us that have been faithful to the Lord and have been an example to follow, to remind us to be an example to follow as we walk out our faith. The tradition of dressing up for Halloween was to try and fool spirits to think that the wearer was one of them so as to not be tricked by them or worse. So why have a dressing up contest here for us? Biblical themed costumes remind us of what God has done for us, what He is doing, and what He will do. It is not to appease some evil spirit, but more a reflection and celebration of our faith. Seeing examples of Moses, Abraham, Joseph, Samson, an apostle, even the very creation of the Lord from animals to trees to rocks tell of the Creator’s love for us and how He has been faithful, and continues to be that way to us. The tradition of carving out a pumpkin was originally to show the ancient symbols of damned souls, and to ward off demons. Today we can use the pumpkin to carve out testimonials to Christ such as the symbol of the cross, a carving of His face, the crown of thorns and the nails, other symbols of our faith to cause others to stop and think of Jesus. I once had Jesus carved out on my pumpkin on the front step and a kid at the door asked who the hippie was and his friend said, “That’s God stupid!” So pumpkin carving can be a time to share our faith through visual representations. So as we move into the activities tonight, think about these things. We are not celebrating Halloween; rather, we are celebrating God and His faithfulness to us as shown through the testimony of His saints over the years. This is why we celebrate All Saints’ Day and not Halloween. We can participate in Halloween in that we can testify about Jesus through our costumes and hand out candy with maybe tracts, play Christian music at the door like having Life 100.3 FM playing through the night instead of haunted house music, and more.
Scriptural References:
• The apostle Paul said Witchcraft is one of the acts of the sinful nature and those who practice it will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:16-21; see also Revelation 22:15).
• As believers, we are called to "Put everything to the test. Accept what is good and don't have anything to do with evil. [1 Thessalonians 5:21-22] or as other versions put it "Abstain from all appearance of evil." [1Thessalonians 5:22]
• Who can deny that virtually all of the symbols of Halloween are evil? Witches, monsters, ogres, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, devils and demons all portray evil. Christians are to "Don't take part in doing those worthless things that are done in the dark. Instead, show how wrong they are” [Ephesians 5:11]
• " Stay away from people who are not followers of the Lord! Can someone who is good get along with someone who is evil? Are light and darkness the same? Is Christ a friend of Satan? Can people who follow the Lord have anything in common with those who don't?” [2 Corinthians 6:14, 15]
• " Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.” Or devour as other versions put it. (1 Peter 5:8)