What Are the Keys to Understanding the Bible? Instead, an examination of the history of Christmas exposes its roots in pagan religious rites. Many Christians believe that participating in Halloween is a form of involvement in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness, which is forbidden in Scripture: Ephesians 5:7-15. Referrals For example, He sometimes uses affliction to compel people to seek His face (Hosea 5:15). (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) Find out why Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t. The Bible does mention two individuals celebrating birthdays: the Egyptian Pharaoh in Joseph’s time (Genesis 40:20) and King Herod in Jesus’ time (Matthew 14:6; Mark 6:21). The Bible says: “Don’t be controlled by your body. If you’d like to discuss this subject at greater length, call us. Focus on the Family has a staff of pastoral counselors who would love to speak with you over the phone. It says that all the works of His hands “are verity and justice” (Psalm 111:7). The Bible does not mention Halloween. December 25: There is no proof that Jesus was born on that date.  |  Proverbs 15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: But the words of the pure are pleasant words. Christmas tree: “Tree worship, common among the pagan Europeans, survived after their conversion to Christianity.” One of the ways in which tree worship survived is in the custom of “placing a Yule tree at an entrance or inside the house in the midwinter holidays.”​—Encyclopædia Britannica. (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. TERMS OF USE Is that why the Lord says in Isaiah 45:7 (KJV), "I make peace and create evil"? But didn't God create free will? Let’s take a closer look at this passage. Instead of yielding to the convicting influence of the Spirit, he snapped under the pressure and gave vent to his hatred. Saul was locked in a profound inner conflict. Interestingly, the authors of the Bible seem to have struggled with this issue as well, with different perspectives being presented in different passages. Answer: Most words in the Bible that are translated “lust” mean “a passionate desire.” Strong desire can be either good or bad, depending upon the object of that desire and the motive behind it. While the Bible doesn't speak directly to our modern celebration of Halloween, it does have plenty to say about the supernatural and fear. Most people who call themselves Christians in America will be thrown into hell. Answer: Many people make the mistake of reading what the Bible says in Exodus 20:13, “You shall not kill,” and then seeking to apply this command to war. Otherwise, there could be no such thing as relationship or love. 1 Timothy 4:1. The Bible does not give the date of Jesus’ birth, nor does it say that we should celebrate his birthday. The Bible reveals that psychic experiences are real but demonic, and that deceiving sprits are counterfeits for the true Spirit of God. Matthew 15:19 “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.”. 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. They are greedy, rebellious, unsubmissive, wicked, adulterous, gossiping, slandering, and sexually immoral women. First, there is Ezekiel 18:23, “’As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.’” 1. What Does the Bible Say About Christmas? Bad wives and evil women in the Bible have done great damage such as lead Solomon astray, betray Samson, and order the killing of John the Baptist. 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  consults ghosts or spirits, or calls up the dead.” It includes the potential for pain. By way of contrast, the Bible never attributes the creation of rasha’ or “moral wickedness” to God. 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. Many people celebrate Christmas despite knowing its origins. Evil is real. Ruach elohim is the phrase normally used in the Old Testament to denote the Holy Spirit – see, for example, Genesis 1:2. Genesis 6:5 “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”. Proverbs 6:12-16 - A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. Let’s find out. Now let’s move on to your final question. Have Focus on the Family resources helped you or your family? Home » Family QAs » Get Help » Family Q&A » Faith Q&As » What the Bible Says About the Origin of Evil. But He is not and cannot be the author of rasha’. (Read More...) Proverbs 28:1-28 - The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. If you regularly fill your mind with wholesome thoughts, you can more readily dismiss wrong desires. First, there is “evil” in the sense of “calamity,” “disaster,” “misfortune,” or “hardship” – in other words, those aspects of existence in this world that we consider “bad” because they hurt us or inconvenience us in some way. The Bible cautions us to repress evil thoughts and think on good things. However, both the ancient origins of Halloween and its modern customs show it to be a celebration based on false beliefs about the dead and invisible spirits, or demons.—See “Halloween history and customs.”. He is light, says the apostle John, “and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). SOME PEOPLE SAY that control by the Devil is a hoax, while others dread being possessed by evil spirits.What do you think? Many think of evil people as drug dealers or terrorists, but the Bible is clear that every person has a sin nature and sins in life. The Psalmist wrote, "I believed, even when I spoke, 'I am greatly afflicted'" (Psalm … There are two different words for “evil” used in the pages of the Old Testament. Who Were the “Three Wise Men”? They argue that man's free will is the source of evil. Share 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. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. Bible Verses About Celebration Bible verses related to Celebration from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance - Sort By Book Order . Portions of God's glorious heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, will be constructed from crystal. Did They Follow the “Star” of Bethlehem. Crystals certainly are beautiful objects, for they were created by God. \"Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. If one were to search for the word “Easter” you could find its mention only in the King James Bible, Acts 12:1-4. Herein lies yet another illustration of the mysterious relationship between human free will and the sovereignty of God. But this possibility also entails an element of risk. The Bible does not give the date of Jesus’ birth, nor does it say that we should celebrate his birthday. They’re rebellious towards the Word of God and when someone rebukes them they say, “thou shall not judge.” First, that verse is talking […] We see celebration not only here in Nehemiah 12, as Israel dedicated the wall, but we also see celebration throughout the Bible. The possibility of love between man and God springs directly out of man’s freedom to choose. To begin with, it’s misleading to think of evil as a “thing.” Evil isn’t a “substance” that has a traceable “source.” Biblically speaking, evil is an aspect of relationship. Through the exercise of free will, man has broken his relationship with God. God invites us to acknowledge our pain. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. 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). Would you like to read this article in %%? But it’s equally clear that Saul, like Pharaoh, was responsible and accountable for his reaction to the situation. Christmas lights: According to The Encyclopedia of Religion, Europeans decorated their homes “with lights and evergreens of all kinds” to celebrate the winter solstice and to combat evil spirits. However, the Hebrew word literally means “the intentional, premeditated killing of another person with malice; murder.” A feast was established in memory of this event (Christ’s birth) in the fourth century. That is to say, we distort the Bible and do ourselves a profound disservice by minimizing the existence of suffering. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. Question: "What does the Bible say about war?" God may have any number of reasons for weaving ra’ah, or hardships and difficulties, into the fabric of human experience. Church leaders likely chose this date to coincide with pagan festivals held on or around the winter solstice. 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? What Does the Bible Say About Christmas? If He creates ra’ah, or “calamity,” it is always for a good and righteous purpose within the all-embracing scheme of His eternal and sovereign plan. Question: "What does the Bible say about overcoming lust?" Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Audio download options The first foundation was jasper, the sec… And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. . What about Isaiah 45:7? He was wrestling with the Lord and with his own bitterness and resentment toward David. Psalms 150:1 - 127:6 - Praise ye the LORD. Bible verses about exposing evil It absolutely saddens and disgusts me by the amount of fake Christians in Christianity.