No More Ancient Tradition

What is the meaning of becoming a Christian?

It is to following Christ and to become more and more like Christ; Also, become a citizen of God’s kingdom—the heavenly kingdom.

Hence, I am no longer a citizen of this earth but I am a member of God’s family.

It means I am not bound to follow any old tradition from this world; it’s simply because God has made me one of His people that living on His rules, not the world’s rules.

Thus, the world might see me as a freak, weird one, because of this difference. Still, what I am doing is normal for real Christians—people that truly love and follow God with all of their heart and willing to surrender everything for the Lord.  

I guess this brief explanation is enough…let’s get into the point.

Chinese New Year is coming. It has been a tradition for Chinese people to celebrate it, including Tiong Hoa (Chinese descendant people that live in Indonesia).

The family will gather together in one place despite of their home location (ex: Uncle from Java will go to Sumatera or vice versa), dine together, chatting, playing card game (it’s often become a family gambling event), and giving money inside of red envelope called angpao to youngster. Some families (non-Christians or “weird” Christians) even pray to gods for the whole night before the festive time and (sadly) go to their ancestors’ graves to clean the graves and pray to them (yes…to dead people who can’t do anything).

Family gathering is nice, dine together is also good…

Gambling? NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

To be honest, I admit that Chinese people have tendency to gambling (I experienced it and I saw for myself that the fathers, even some mothers, will gather and playing card with some money as the bet).

Angpao? What is the meaning of the red envelope? Sharing fortune to the family is good but sharing can be done every day, it doesn’t have to be the Chinese New Year. Call me freak but I believe there is something bad about those red envelope—painted with some weird pictures and unfamiliar Chinese words…you don’t know what will it bring, duh~

Pray to gods and ancestors? ……..

Le:26:1: Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. (Imamat 26:1)

God has declared it clearly that He is the Lord. Christians “MUST” not bow unto anything but the Lord! How could you call yourself a Christian if you still bow unto other gods and do some praying to dead people?? STOP HURTING GOD!

Phew…

I guess, it’s all about faith then... People are free to believe in anything and do anything they think is right. On the contrary, it troubles me to see people, who called themselves Christian, still celebrate this event.

Well, perhaps they aren’t gambling or pray to gods and dead people. But they don’t realize that each year, they celebrate some beast!!!

Chinese New Year always comes with a beast: mouse, horse, tiger, pig, monkey, chicken, dragon, blabla (I don’t remember…praise the Lord!!) and this year, 2012, it’s going to be “water dragon”!!!

http://tiantian1008.deviantart.com/art/Water-Dragon-168715239

Dear fellow Christians, my dear brothers and sisters…you should know that dragon is the interpretation of the devil himself, right? Why would you celebrating his arrival? Why would you celebrating some kind of animals?

In my point of view (which is came just now…thanks dearest Holy Spirit :-* ), celebrating it also count as worshiping those beasts…

Chinese New Year come…it’s the dragon year! Then you’ll see many dragons images around you…people upload dragons as their profile picture, put those images on the doors, and billboard, blablabla… The greetings will come with dragons image attached and so on~~

Many people will see the dragon, happy about it because of the festive hype, gathering and singing some song to celebrate it… isn’t it the same as worshiping?

Even uttering, “Happy “dr**on” year” will be the same as celebrating the beast’s arrival. 

Do you still want to celebrate it? I don’t.

As Christians, we are no longer bound to do some ancient tradition from the world. Chinese New Year is one of many weird and dark tradition from the world that created by the devil himself to make people worshiping him unconsciously.

Jesus has freed us from darkness. Open your eyes! It’s time to be aware about our surrounding and run to God.

Step out and declare the war against the world!