____________________________________________________________ 互户互户互猾せカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカ  *** The Little Worker *** ____________________________________________________________ 互户互户互猾せカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカ  Published by CDTTT-The Committee for the Difussion of The Third Testament Issue of December 2002 _________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS: - First Word - The Christmas teachings - Of Trees, Mistletoes and Lights - Peace on Earth and good will toward men? - Last Word ____________________________________________________________ 互户互户互猾せカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカ  -First Word Dearly beloved: Ah, it is Christmas time again... This is the cherished season of good will and good feelings among men in all Christiandom. And as expected, we will dedicate this issue to the remembrance of the birth of that child that changed the destiny of humankind forever. ____________________________________________________________ 互户互户互猾せカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカ  - The Christmas teachings Along these past years, we have suggested that you print one of the Christmas teachings that our Lord delivered through human understanding from the year 1866 to 1950. One of them, can be found here: http://144000.net/christms.htm A copy of this teaching will be the best Christams gift ever, so go ahead! print it and give it to someone you love or send him or her, an email containing the link to that webpage. ____________________________________________________________ 互户互户互猾せカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカ  - Of Trees, Mistletoes and Lights One of the most cherished customs of the Christian world, is to set a Christmas tree, usually a pine tree or another kind of conifer, and adorn it with lights and all kinds of little things. On top of it, as we all know, usually a star is placed. But, is this really from a Christian origin? Did the early followers of Christ put trees and adorn them with lights in their homes to celebrate the birth of the Saviour? No. As surprising at this must sound to many of our few readers, the Christmas tree is, in fact, a pagan tree. During the Middle Ages, the Germans believed the evergreen trees were especially imbued with life since they remained green throughout all of winter. Greenery was prominent in pagan winter celebrations in honour of the tree spirit or spirit of fertility. The lighting of candles, bonfires, the Yule Log and similar stuff likewise originates from the pagan custom of lighting fires and candles during the solstice season, to encourage the waning sun-god as he reached the lowest point in the southern skies. How then, did this pagan custom pass on to us? Simple: Prince Consort Albert, the beloved husband of Queen Victoria, being of German birth, brought that custom to England's royal quarters, circa the year 1840. But the concept of a symbolic tree originated much earlier, sometime around the year 3000 B.C. in ancient Egypt, with the myth of Osiris and Isis. After the untimely death of King Osiris, his wife, Isis, propagated the idea of the survival of Osiris as a spirit. She claimed -although never showed any proof of it- that a full grown evergreen tree sprang overnight from a dead stump, brought the new life of Osiris' spirit from his death. On each anniversary of Osiris birth, which was the date we now know as December 25th, Isis would leave gifts around this tree, much in the fashion that many other primitive cultures did in past ages. By the way, the Romans trimmed the trees with trinkets and toys at that same time of year in which they celebrated the (late imperial) festival for Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on December 25th (the Solstice in the pre-Julian calendar). It does ring a bell, huh? And the Druids tied gilded apples to tree branches, symbolizing the tree of life in the garden of Eden. It is not easy to break a habit carefully groomed since childhood, but if we, at this time in History, are to repeat something just for the sake of it, without stopping to think if it contradicts the divine teachings or not, our behaviour falls in the boundries of irresponsibiliy. Why? Because we should know better. Furthermore, in the Book of Jeremiah this is written: "Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." Jeremiah 10:1 Please, remember this also: "God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth." - John 4:24. So, what are you going to do? Follow the world or follow the Lord? ____________________________________________________________ 互户互户互猾せカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカ  - Peace on Earth and good will toward men? It seems that there hasn't been a single day, since we can recall, in which war and turmoil haven't collected their toll of human suffering and death. In fact, at this point in human history, it seems like bad guys are all over the place. But is that so? Is good will toward men a thing of the past? Is peace on Earth unthinkable? Problem is, that nowadays, good deeds are not news. You won't see in the 6 o'clock news that most of the mothers in the world still tuck their children to bed every single night, that fathers take the best of care of them also and work hard, many times side by side with their spouses to give them not only the food necessary for the body, but also the best education for the mind and for the spirit they can get. CNN probably won't be interested either in covering the everyday struggle of missionaries of the most varied beliefs and creeds to deliver a helping hand in prisons, hospitals and orphanages. Nobody counts them but I am sure that they surpass 1,000 to 1 the numbers of those that, because their evildoing and crimes, deserve the attention and exhaustive coverage of the world media. Peace on Earth and good will toward men? Yes, it exists and we believe in it. We believe in that most of the people in the world, regardless of religion, race, culture or place of birth are decent, God-loving men and women whichever they notion of a supreme being might be. Peace on Earth and good will toward men? You bet! ____________________________________________________________ 互户互户互猾せカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカせЙせカ  -Final Word: Sorry for raining a little bit on your parade -you know, the Christmas customs article- but hey, why don't you try something else for a change? What about a feast in the heart? What about remembering that little child that brought eternal light and hope to all generations in the world? Then, you might share a thought with all of us to celebrate the most holy of the nights in a prayer that sprout from our spirit and reach the poor, the sick and the sad wherever they might be. Believe me, that would be a Christmas carol that the angels of heaven will sing along with us and it would be the most wonderful gift we can offer to the King of Kings. Your Brother in the Lord The Little Worker **** PAST ISSUES AT http://144000.net/newsletter/ ****