Hi Mike!

Hope well with you and your family. I really appreciate your FAQ’s. Those are building me up in faith, especially God’s total sovereignty.
I study your articles, FAQ’s and your friend’s article about holidays. I understand very well, but my wife and my two boys don’t understand me. Every year when christmas comes, I tell my kids that christmas is fake, and Jesus never celebrated christmas, easter, birthdays, etc. But they still don’t get it (I am aware of God not giving them eyes to see at this time). They keep going on celebrating holidays, even my own wife. I did study about your FAQ’s like “what can I do with my spouse on holidays?” something like that. I feel like I am stuck with it. My wife and my kids don’t use do it because before I saw the real truth, I did celebrate with them for years until my eyes were open to see God’s very words through your web site. My wife and kids notice me not getting excited for christmas, easter or thanksgiving. Even my own mother was shocked that I hate holidays. I hope God’s written me in His book to fully overcome the holidays. And yes, of course, I understood Jesus said “you will be hated by all men” and “If any come to me (Jesus), and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children… he cannot be my disciple”. I will do my best as I can and trust God.
I am curious about you, Mike, if you don’t mind. Do you never say “happy birthday” to your kids and wife? Or what will you say to them when their age numbers grow every year? And what about “mother’s day” with your wife and your mother? I know it is not my business, but I am very curious. If you don’t feel like answering, then you don’t have to.
I LOVE your web site! The best I have seen. I use your web site everyday to read any updates.
Thank you, Mike, brother in Christ,
B___

Hi B____
Thank you for your questions. I will be happy to answer them.

I can see that you have read what we have written on this subject, so I will not bother to show the scriptures which tell us never to attempt to drag anyone to Christ, while at the same time never compromising on what the scriptures very plainly tell us Christ did, and that we should follow in His steps.

You ask:

Do you never say “happy birthday” to your kids and wife?… And what about “mother’s day” with your wife and your mother?

The answer will always be the same. I say ‘Good Morning’, and ‘Have a good day’ or similar greetings to my wife and children every time I see them. I set them an example of obedience to the Word of God every day. That is how I know that I love my wife and my children, and that is how they know that I love them.

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Show your family members that you love them every day, and not just on ‘special’ days’, because it is “Him that is weak in the faith” who “esteems one day above another”. It takes no strength of faith to do that, whereas it takes tremendous strength of faith to follow Christ’s example and not appear at the feast at the lawfully appointed time (Joh 7:8), and “profane the sabbath”, as Christ admits He and His disciples did (Mat 12:5).

Joh 7:8  Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.
Mat 12:4  How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Mat 12:5  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

It once was that “only the priests” could “esteem every day alike” and work on the sabbath and holy days. It once was that “only the priests” could eat of the shewbread, but now we are all, in Christ, “kings and priests”.

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Show your wife and your children that you love them every day, not just on a particular day, but don’t think for one minute you can do that without obeying God. All the good little things you do for them are not really loving them at all, if you are not first seeking to love and obey your heavenly Father.
I am very well aware of how radical this all is to this entire world. It is as radical as breaking the Sabbath, not going up to the feast on time, and doing what only was lawful for the priests to do in Christ’s days on the earth. But Christ set us that example, and He obeyed His heavenly Father because He really did love His brothers and sisters and His mother.

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike