Celebrations    We all love celebrating happy times not so? The birth of a healthy child into our family, the wedding of a close relative, even the victory of our favourite sports team gives us a lift and joy in our hearts and a smile on our lips.    There are other kinds of celebrations also, ones where we put on a brave face because any alternative would be disastrous.  Ladies, for example, your husband seems to take more notice of your interfering, domineering mother-in-law than he does of you. Moreover, he gets mixed up with birth dates and gives you a birthday present on her birthday!  Men, your mother-in-law gives you a birthday present, such as a vase, which puts a large smile on your wife's face because it will just fill that empty space on the display cabinet. You would much rather have had a tie or a pair of socks.  Your smiles becomes a little twisted, not so.    The giving and receiving of presents goes back in history to ancient times:  As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them; Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year; And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.  (Esther 9:22-28)   The Christian faith reverences two festivals, namely X-mas and Easter. Isn't it strange that both of them fall on pagan feast days; that is, those originally set aside for celebrating religious festivals to the god of this world - the enemy of Father God?   Don't you think the Creator might feel insulted that we honour His only begotten Son on a day that honours someone that aspires to His throne?  Jesus Christ is certainly pleased that you bring His earthly life, death and resurrection into remembrance, but at this time and in this way?  My God takes second place to no-one!   If this writing has stirred your soul and you wish to be obedient in love to your Creator, there are many sources on the Internet or from the written word where you could find out the veracity of the above statement.    Should you wish to live in such a way as to place a smile on the face of your Redeemer and live in His shadow, here are some words from His book:  Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all. And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name: That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.  (Isaiah 65:8-16) Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.  (Isaiah 66:1-5)   There is nothing wrong in celebrations to lift the soul out of the dreariness of everyday living, but don't bring Holy worship into unholy merrymaking.    Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.  (Deuteronomy 4:23-24)