Merry Freakin’ Christmas – :)

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Image result for creepy santa image rudolph frosty jesus

Now I am not dogging out Christmas but I have been thinking about it and the stories we tell our children as well as the impact those stories have.  I remember the magic of it and the power that innocent hope has to help children modify their behavior if only for a season.  Ralphee was able to focus and get creative and overcome obstacles motivated by the lure of a Red Rider BB gun.  As best I can remember that movie had a purely secular slant on it and probably is a good reflection of the psychology behind our yearly spending frenzy. It seems now most of what this season has become is a three month cultural ritual which culminates in a lavish sacrifice to the one-eyed god – MON-EYE

I was wondering what must go through the mind of a child regarding this mishmash of stories that have somehow evolved into whatever we do during this time of year.  Children, especially those raised in a Christian tradition must be the most confused.  Let’s see . . . Jesus was born on December 25th that just so happens to coincide with significant dates in Astral theology.  He was visited by shepherds and angels and wise men on that night, unless one reads the account and find that the wise guys showed up a few years later.  A poor boy played his magic drum that made animals dance.  Frosty needs help from Santa to come back to life.  Santa and Rudolph and the folks from the Island of Misfit Toys I think were also at the birth.  Jesus is loosely associated with evergreen trees and lights and gifts and peppermint and Santa and flying reindeer and Coke cola and polar bears and Budweiser horses.  Between all of these stories and songs and a multitude of church plays with questionable theology the key player in all of this jumble is Santa.  He is the one who is always watching (creepy) and is keeping a list.  A naughty and nice list.  I am thinking that for the average elementary aged “Christian” child the God story must be something like this.  We were bad and Jesus came to help us.  People came to visit him and brought him stuff and wore robes.  There were angels and animals and Santa and Rudolph and Frosty and the boy with the magic drum.  There is something about Jesus dying on a great pine tree and in the spring the magic Easter bunny leaves colored eggs that Jesus hatches from. And there’s chocolate.  Still trying to figure out where the cavemen and dinosaurs and Batman fits in.  But most importantly if I am “good” Santa will give me stuff.  If I am “bad” I will be punished.  Santa watches and keeps a list. Now creepy Santa has a new helper.  The Elf on the shelf. 🙂  (Just playing no judgement.)

If the Jesus story is anything it is a story of grace.  But somehow in the larger culture it has functionally created a mass hysteria involving money and debt and guilt and greed and self-indulgence a spike in alcohol sales and therapy early the next year.  Junk purchased and soon disregarded pass for meaningful gifts and distract from the true wonder of grace.  Just wondering out loud but I think those were not the results intended by the divine incarnation.  Grace is free and frees.  It is not an easy thing but it lasts and carries no debt.

But grace is a very frightening thing. 🙂 It can not be controlled or bargained with. We have to accept it naked and without merit or it can’t be had. When it comes, it comes to our core where it is needed. The light came into the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it. That is the place that is shamed and we’ve hidden it under the fig leaves.  When it comes it exposes our weakness and sense of unworthiness. We are naked again as in the beginning of things. Grace though brings life and not death.

I think we often understand grace as some divine indulgence or permission where god sometimes lets us get away with things or does us favors depending on whether we are on the naughty or nice list.

But because we are never fully naughty or fully nice (good or bad) it promotes insecurity and we never really know our standing with the universe. God’s favor or displeasure seems a mystery and random. We get trapped in the good-bad thinking and wonder why god does not play by the rules we were taught. In that we seldom question the rules the default become something is wrong with me.  And we go round and round the good-bad dialectic. Good and bad is an illusion and a lie. We can never be good enough to win god’s favor or bad enough to loose it. It is a stupid trap and a trick from hell. It is a control mechanism based in fear.  That is why even Jesus would not let them call him good. He recognized bullshit when he heard it. The better question is whether something is true or not. Is it in accordance with the nature of creation or not.  Are you being true to who you were created to be and to become, or are you trapped in the bargain of trying to be good and hiding when you are bad.

Santa like many other traps and illusions looks good on the surface.  Somehow we get sucked into believing that we can bargain with Santa or the Government or God or our spouse or boss or children etc. etc. etc. to win favor and avoid the punishment inherent in the naughty list.  But we remain confused and lost and life seems to be arbitrary and outside the rules. It seems that way at times because we learned the wrong rules. Maybe that is why little kids are afraid of Santa and Disney characters.  They know what’s up, they sense it and have to be trained that they are not scary. The universe is love and grace.  The Creator already favors you and offers it freely.  It has always been yours.  Striving to earn it misses the point.  Feeling beyond its help is ridiculous.  It has nothing to do with either proposition.  You already are everything you need to be.  That is the point of grace.  That is the gift of Grace.  That is the story of Christmas.  We are all, everyone, from the Island of Misfit Toys and God loves folks like that.  Blessings – Plato

AND

Image result for creepy santa image rudolph frosty jesus

No point. Just thought it was funny.

60 thoughts on “Merry Freakin’ Christmas – :)”

  1. Christmas is a wonderful remembrance Plato of Christ’s Birth which is recorded in Scripture as December for those who have eyes to see, the Wise Men came eight days after Jesus was Born but not to the Stable which is also recorded.

    Christmas is all about Love but yes it depends what our heart Focus is, for some as you said, it’s all about making Money, not showing Love and kindness.

    Children when older view Santa as a Fairy Story like the Easter Bunny, Superman and Cinderella etc, they don’t think they have been lied to, ask a few of them as Teenagers.

    Jesus was affirming His Divinity when He said only God is good, of course He was good or He would not have been able to Redeem us, He was conceived by The Holy Ghost and never sinned, He knew who He was, it is recorded in Scripture at 12 He did and He said from Birth He had known His Father, He was referring to The Godhead or Trinity as we call Them today both meaning 3 in One .

    When we are Born Again and Perfected in Love having put our Carnal Flesh to death, as the Scripture below confirms, we no longer Sin, until then we are under Grace but if we continue to sin we are still in Darkness but not saying we won’t come to heart repentance and so show we are Saved, God knows those who are His and not one of us will be lost.

    John 8:34-36 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who Sins is a slave to Sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.(KJV)

    1 John 3: 1-11 ( 9 ) No one who is Born of God will continue to Sin because God’s seed remains in him he cannot go on Sinning because he has been Born of God.(KJV)

    1 John 5:18-20 We know that no one who is Born of God Sins but He who was Born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him. (KJV)

    1 John 3: 1-11 ( 6-7 ) Whosoever abideth in Him Sinneth not: whosoever Sinneth hath not seen Him neither known Him. Little children, let no man deceive you he that doeth Righteousness is Righteous even as He is Righteous.(KJV)

    Romans 6:6- 7 For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of Sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to Sin because anyone who has died has been freed from Sin. (KJV)

    Romans 6:18-20 Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness. (KJV)

    1 John 2:4-6 He that saith I know Him and keepeth not His Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word in him verily is the Love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he bideth in Him ought himself also so to walk even as He walked.(KJV)

    Luke 6:45-46 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.(KJV)

    Colossians 3:4-6 When Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed which is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming.(KJV)

    2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit Perfecting Holiness in the fear of God. (KJV)

    Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.(KJV)

    Romans 6 : 1 – 2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein? (KJV)

    1 Peter 1:21-23 Being Born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever.(KJV)

    Romans 8: 8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.(KJV)

    Romans 8 :12-15 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation but it is not to the Sinful nature to live according to it or if you live according to the Sinful nature you will die but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (KJV)

    Romans 6:5-7 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him that the body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin. For he that is dead is freed from Sin.(KJV)

    Romans 6:22-23 But now being made free from Sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting life. For the wages of Sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.(KJV)

    1 John 4:17-19 Herein is our Love made Perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is so are we in this world. There is no fear in Love but Perfect Love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made Perfect in Love. We Love Him, because He first Loved us. (KJV)

    1 Peter 2:24 Who His own self bare our Sins in His own body on the tree that we being dead to Sins should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed.(KJV)

    Ephesians 4:23-24 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and True Holiness.(KJV)

    Titus 2:13-15 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all Authority. Let no man despise thee.(KJV)

    Colossians 1:27-29 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man Perfect in Christ Jesus Where unto I also labour, striving according to His working which worketh in me mightily (KJV)

    Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.(KJV)

    Hope your Christmas was Special for you Plato and many Blessings for the New Year and as you seek Jesus to guide you into all Truth may you experience His Love, Peace and Joy in abundance.

    “Christ”ian Love from us both – Anne.

    • Thank you Anne. I am so glad you dropped by and took the time to post your thoughtful comments. I was not intending to comment on Jesus as much as the greedy and immoral cultural celebration of the birth. Individuals can have different practices and spiritual focus during the season that truely focus on the “light coming into the darkness. ” but as a whole, in my opinion the general population and results point to the light of another who appears as an angel of light. There is no command to celebrate the birth in all of scripture, especially in the way we do. That all came from outside of the gospels and scripture except for the few tidbits thrown in along with the rest that makes up our current celebration. The only command I am aware of is for christ followers to remember the sacrifice and death through communion. I am not against christmas. It fine, but was not established by the Christ. I wonder what the world would be like if if put as much energy into celebrating the Lord’s Supper as it does Santa and the baby and the elves. I was not intending to preach. Was just musing about a celebration the world’s system in general supports or at least allows. I think Paul had a bit to say about who rules this world. Not much is different now than then except TV and Facebook. 🙂 I was just remarking on the fruits not the stated intent of the celebration. Thinking that the world’s system might have some motivation for getting the focus off of the Truth that grace is a free gift from the Creator. Thanks again for being here. Blessings – Plato

      • Respectfully Plato, I don’t care less what Pagans do with Christmas God sees our Heart and when Jesus was Born there was a great Celebration as recorded in Scripture, He even received Presents, where does it say we can’t Celebrate Jesus Birth or our own, these are man made rules, God rejoices when we are Born, He sees us being formed in the womb, He knows every hair on our head, yes He knows those who are His and even sings over us Hmmmm perhaps Happy Birthday.

        Yes I understand your concern Plato in regard to greedy and immoral people but let’s be real, what about Sport all kinds or Craft for woman, don’t they intrude on our time too, Christians could be with worshiping God or doing the good works He has prepared in advance for us to do and yet much Money and time is invested in these pastimes and rarely do you hear complaints by Christians.

        I’m going to leave you a link Plato, remember it’s what’s in our Heart that counts not what others do or how they respond.

        Christmas – https://freedomborn.wordpress.com/2015/12/08/the-wonderful-symbols-of-christmas/

        Blessings – Anne.

        • My friend I am much less concerned about what “pagans” do as what the Church corporate promotes and sanctions. In fact much of the tradition associated with christmas has deep roots in what some would call paganism. No judgement on the Christian or the Pagan parts. I mean Jesus was not a Christian :). I’m just commenting on the exercise and process of how the holiday is observed.

          • “Christ”ian means Christ in us, so it has to do with Jesus, I’m proud to be called a “Christ”ian, aren’t you Plato?

            Yes I have heard some of the criticisms that people propagate about “Christ”mas, even in regard to the Symbols that we use today as a remembrance, some of which are in the Scriptures and all of which when viewed with a Christian focus bring glory to God and remind us of His Love in sending Jesus to redeem us, so yes it’s all about our Heart focus.

            Pagans used Trees to worship their gods by grafting their god’s images onto the Trees and adorning them with gold and silver, so does that mean we must reject all trees which our part of God’s Creation because they use them in their Idolatry .

            Let’s refer to Sport again, it was used by the Romans to Kill Christians in the early Church or themselves, their games were violent, does that mean we have to reject all Sport today.

            There are a lot of things that Pagans use in their idolatry, such as Music, Candles, Butterflies , Crystals, Colours, Animals etc does this mean we have to reject all these too?

            Let’s keep the Heart of “Christ”mas alive, it’s all about Love.

            “Christ”ian Love – Anne.

  2. I hope you get this. Just wishing you and your Family every good wish for 2016, may it be everything you wish it to be. Thank you for your Friendship, means a lot to me and thank you for what you did for me, that I will treasure forever, take great care of yourself, love Anna.

  4. Hi! this is a post I understood and enjoyed, sometimes I find you too groovy! MON-EYE is good to remember, thanks for the great dissection! I just want to say on behalf of all those struggles which though seems pointless at the end but are worthy anyway for poor earthen fellas as only a few are blessed to know at the beginning that “You already are everything you need to be”. At our wit’s end we know at heart everything is fine but that needs reassurance time to time. For reasons not known, we listen from travelers down the path, but can’t fully grasp god’s grace totally unless travel the road of thorns once again ourselves full length, may be that is all about our individual journey in this would be so good world! I would love to have it realize the sooner the better, but I don’t want to end this though imperfect but wonderful journey, hope the grace never ends and is delivered in bite sizes just perfect for my understanding! typically human! Wish you every happiness you desire this festive season! many thanks!

    • Hey friend. I glad you stopped by and played with me. When I speak of groovy I am referring to one’s particular calling or purpose or groove. Its just a word and many others would do. It referrs to that which is most true and unique or singular about a person. That which breaks and buds and blossoms in the context of grace. And is opposed to the fear and anxiety based projestions we sometimes hide behind. I pray your continued deep understanding of our Creator’s grace in our lives this next year. May we all more fully know as we have been already been known. And that as we manifest the intention of us, our groove, our unique way of being in the world it would encourage others to come out of the bushes and play. Your singular intelligence beauty and strenght and wisdom is wonderful. Thank you for being here. Peace and blessings to you. Plato

    • He’s been used to sell stuff for a long time. Hes not really concerned what it is. Smoking used to be cool and promoted. Now in our overly sensitive cultures it looks disturbing. But just a few decades ago that was seen as enticing and helped sell cigarettes.

  9. Calensariel has pulled the gold nuggets from your post. Yes, we are enough. Yes, Grace is not earned, it is free. And yes, I love Christmas. No, I do not like the commercialisation and adulteration of it and other great festivals. And finally, yes, because through Grace we have free will, we can choose to go with the true spirit of Christmas in our own celebrations 🙂 May yours be all you want it to be 🙂
    PS – I think kids are not as gullible as we adults sometimes think they are… just saying!

  10. Now, I normally agree with you but I see that we need to have a discussion (of sorts) after the new year gets here. Not a bad discussion but some clarification is in order, don’t you think? Good work as usual.

      • That’s great. I’m a student of the Bible and spend many hours a week therein and when I see something that seems to say that we are saved by grace and that is the totality of it all. I tend to look and see what the Bible has to say on the matter. I’ll get up a list of Bible verses that might be interesting on the subject of grace.

          • But you have to work to keep the grace. If you try and stay under the old law then you are “fallen from grace” Galatians 5 :4 and that is a sad state indeed. 2 Peter 2 :20-22 Not trying to be picky or difficult, it’s just that I like to see where things come from. I get into a lot of discussions with people when they mention grace, salvation and that false doctrine called “the rapture.” I prefer to have book, chapter and verse on any and all such topics. I feel that if I can lead one person to a better knowledge of the truth then I become a better person in the process.

          • My friend, if I remember my seminary lessons from long ago the definition of grace is the unmerited and undeserving favor of God freely given any who would accept it. If there is some work I can do to keep it then I would have by definition earned it and would be due grace because of my actions. God would then owe me grace. Action and choice are a part of being but they are secondary to grace. My understanding and acceptance of my own depravity (Most of Paul’s writings) highlights and focuses me on the impossibility of working my way into grace. It can also though break my ego and its striving to be god. I then may turn to god hoping beyond hope that the Creator might accept me only to find that I was known and accepted from before the womb. That I was fearfully and wonderfully made and like a child drop my sense of importance and play in the presence of the One who has loved me from before the foundations. My choices and actions flow then not from a striving to earn what is impossible but rather in response to a love beyond the comprehension of my broken and false ego. Or something like that. 🙂

          • Obedience is essential to receiving grace. Acts Ch 9 has a very interesting instance of this when the Lord talked to Saul directly from heaven. Jesus informed Saul that he would be TOLD what to DO. Saul was saved by grace but he was told what he must do to be saved by grace. Acts 9 :6 & 9 :17-18 My intent when I asked for some clarification was not to start an intense discussion. I much prefer one on one or small group discussions with Bibles open for all to have an opportunity to see and understand what is going on.

          • His obedience was surrendering his false inflated ego by going to the gentile’s house for healing. He thought he saw but was blinded to the point that he believed god need his help so he was killing people. When he recognized his blindness he began to see

          • His obedience was in not doing. God did not need his help. Paul recieved grace when he began to understand that his evil was projected onto others. When he undrrstood himself as the cheif if sinners he was free

          • From that point he began to act and choose much differently. Not out of obedience or to be good rather than bad but to seek the upward call, gods intention for him. He gave up his credentials of smartness or goodness and said it was all crap compared to who he was in the grace of christ. His use of the word “obedience” was like saying he was being obedient by taking a breath.

          • When Jesus told him what to do and he complied, was that not obedience? We could go like this forever without any resolution. All I know is what the Bible teaches and that is enough for me. Thanks for your explanations.

          • He learned the deeper mysteries and paradox. He learned to live by dying. He thought he was being obedient when he was killing people. But he was very off the mark. The bible teaches that. Grace freed him from rules based in fear for perfect love casts out fear. His initial life was based on anxiety and intellect and works based behavior that judged others rather than undrrstanding his own depravity. Once he understood his iwn ignorance and depravity he died and was reborn in grace. He taught that we should die daily to the false worldy system and find freedom in christ. Peace brother.

          • All of them. The same ones Jesus quoted. 🙂 Paul wrote letters not books. The chapters and numbers are artificial and made by men for their own purposes. The numbers have no authority and many times confuse the story. The Word is alive not pressed and contained between the pages of a book. I quit thinking about numbers cause none of the authors did. The gospel, the good news is that we die to live we give to recieve if we would be wise we first become foolish that we are ignorant and hopeless and lost in our own works because they are misdirected and futile. And that until one stops trying to bargain with God they remain outside of the creator’s grace forever striving when our call is to rest.

          • But, yet we must have some reference point to go by. I agree that the numbers have no authority but it makes no sense to hand one a Bible and tell him/her to find what they want with no starting point. Not using the numbers as reference tends to make one think you are not as certain about The Word as you would want us to believe. Grace is free but it has to be earned through obedience to The Gospel. That’s enough said, you believe what you do because of your teachings as do I. I think our study methods are and have been different and probably always will be.
            It’s like Mark Twain said, “difference of opinion makes horse races .”

          • Morning brother. This is fun:). I take no offense. I hope you don’t. Your response, as I read it seemed to insinuate that I was misleading somehow about my knowledge of the bible. I have made no claim to be an expert on bible numbers. Ive made no claim at all. But i agree the modifications made to the bible can be helful for those unfamiliar to it. Kinda like a map and street signs are to someone in a strange city but once you know your way around one tends to navigate differently. One tends to reference places not streets and numbers. It saves time between people trying to go somewhere. One could make the point that dependence on the numbers could indicate lack of familarity with the territory. To clarify when you capitalize the word Word it makes it a proper noun. I was unclear what you indended. Where you referencing the bible or the logos which was in the beginning, which was with god and was god and through which everything that is was made and it was the light which the darkness could not comprehend or overcome? (Think that’s in john somewhere) I don’t equate the bible with the living Word. It may be a map but it is not the living word of god. Like paul said somewhere in coronithians it will pass away with all the prophesy and teachings and miracles etc. All the religious dogmas and religion and theology are all at best a darkened mirror. What will abide is faith hope and love.

            One can not earn grace. Perhaps we are just getting hung up on semantics. But if I “earn” something it is my due and it is owed me. God owes me nothing. I can not place god in my debt by any means. If I am able to then I have oower over the creator. I am though trying to get with you. Perhaps one could say I earn life by continuing to breathe regularly. I am being obedient to the biological processes necessary to sustain my body. At some level this might be said to be true but it is not. The air is a gift the body which requires the oxygen is a gift the programming which made most of my breaths happen without notice is a gift and done for me (sleep) even the impulse to live is a gift given to me. So I guess on some level I can say I earn life by participating in it but even life itself is not mine. We can choose not to breathe for a little while and if we are able to forgo it long enough we will pass out and the natural processes handed us will take over once again. Grace is free. Our choice seems to be to breathe it in and live or hold our breath trying to get our way. And that way leads to death. Again my buddy this is fun for me and I consider this to be a good natured exchange. Peace to you.

          • 🙂 and if one does not breathe they recieve no air. But soon they pass out and still exist within the context of creation over which they own no power. I think the book says something like… while we were yet sinners christ died for us. We exist in grace whether we choose it or not. The law is death and all have fallen short so all by rights should die. Yet I live whether I acknowledge or follow one path or another. One direction may tend toward life and oneness with the creator and another may tend toward death and seperateness I recieve the grace to walk whether I choose or am even aware of the choice.

            The good news does not demand or call for obedience but a response to the one who brought and proclaimed it. Its only requirement is that I become a child and reach out with upstretched and needy arms. To step out of the bushes and fig leaves of my false goodness and attempts to negioate the remedy. To know I know little except the one who can help. Like a hurt and lost child seeking comfort from their parent. I would call that the way the soultion but not obedience. I really need to drag out the books I guess and reseach the word obedience and what it was translated from its use and context. But probably won’t:) I’m not a scholar. Peace

  11. There is so much richness in the tapestry you’ve woven with your words. You already are everything you need to be. That is the point of grace. That is the gift of Grace. That is the story of Christmas. We are all, everyone, from the Island of Misfit Toys and God loves folks like that. It’s a tapestry worthy of wrapping up in. What a marvelous gift you’ve reminded us of, that we are ENOUGH. Love & Hugs, Bard…

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