Regardless of your denominational affiliation or theological beliefs, please understand that this web page is not against you personally. This information is here to help you and encourage you to Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith (II Cor. 13:5), the faith of Jesus (Rev. 14:12), the Saviour of the world (John 4:42), Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2). But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7). Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Gal. 2:16). But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.... For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:22,26). For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph. 2:8,9). Please read the following with an open mind and let the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge speak to your heart (Eph. 3:19); and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls (James 1:21). Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: (Isa. 1:18) |
This time of year, more than any other, people appear to have a different joy about them. Beautiful bright lights trim trees in houses of all shapes and sizes, decorations everywhere, going shopping, giving gifts, planning festive parties and dinners, cooking and baking all kinds of favorite recipes for loved ones returning home, as well as for friends coming by to visit.
STOP AND ASK YOURSELF A SERIOUS QUESTION: Where is JESUS in all of this? Come on Church! Who is kidding who? Be real with yourself!
If Christmas is the chief of all Christian holidays, then why do so many non-Christians observe it? Think a moment (or did you check your brains at the door when you got saved?). Have you ever really reflected on your motives for celebrating Christmas? Or by nature do you tend to follow the crowd, whether they are right or wrong?
If Christmas is the birthday of Christ, then why are WE the ones receiving the gifts? THINK PEOPLE...THINK: How would you feel on your birthday if everyone came to your party and gave gifts to everyone else but you?
If all the devils in hell had put their heads together to devise a feast that should utterly scandalize Christianity they could not have improved on this one. (Quote from a Christian theologian named Gerson who lived during the time when the very first Christmases were being celebrated, which, by the way, didn't occur until centuries after Christ. (The story of Santa Klaus, William S. Walsh, 1909, p. 75)
GOD DOES NOT ACCEPT HEATHEN CUSTOMS CHANGED AND RENAMED AS SUITABLE BEHAVIOR AND WORSHIP TO HIM!
If God wanted us to celebrate Christmas wouldn't He have revealed the date of Jesus' birth? Wouldn't He have commanded us to celebrate it? The first church and early Christians DID NOT CELEBRATE THIS HOLIDAY we call Christmas, yet they manifested the power of God WITHOUT MEASURE because they were totally separated and CAME OUT OF THE WORLD AND IT'S PRACTICES!
PEOPLE OF GOD: come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, (as many of our spiritual predecessors did who disapproved of and refused to celebrate Christmas) (II Cor. 6:17). Note that these men were WISE (Just as the WISE men who brought gifts to Jesus. They were not creating a new Christian custom or holiday, instead they were bringing gifts to a KING).
PEOPLE OF GOD: Wake up, Beware! Sad to say but there are many men behind pulpits today that use this time of year as an excuse. What excuse? They will twist the scriptures to gain FILTHY LUCRE and gifts to consume them upon their own lusts (by telling people that they should also be giving gifts to Jesus, (the Church).
WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! AREN'T YOUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS ENOUGH?
People, make no mistake, God will allow you to defy and disobey Him. God will allow you to follow the crowd and the traditions of men, but HEED THE WORD OF THE LORD! THERE IS A DAY OF RECKONING COMING TO ALL. Jesus said that ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32). ARE YOU FREE MY FRIEND? REALLY FREE, TO WORSHIP THE LORD in spirit and in truth ? for the Father seeketh such to worship him (John 4:23).
Don't get caught up in things, instead get caught up in God!
In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter one, Verse 21, it tells the reason for Jesus coming into the world: Jesus shall save his people from their sins. Not so His people could celebrate a heathen holiday. If you are really interested in learning more about Jesus Christ, then I would encourage you to start by reading the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John is the fourth book of the New Testament and it contains the facts concerning who Jesus Christ really is and why He came into this world. Take time now and think about why you celebrate Christmas.
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We know from the Bible that the apostles of Jesus Christ did not celebrate his birthday. And we know from other historical accounts that the early Christian church did not celebrate the birth of Christ. In regard to the day or month in which the Saviour was born, a subject to which the devotion of a large proportion of the Christian world has attached much importance, we have no means of accurate knowledge.(Encyclopedia Britannica, 7th Ed., 1830-1842). We know from sacred scripture and from history that Jesus Christ is not the reason for the season.
If God had wanted us to celebrate Jesus Christ's birthday, one would think that at least one Bible verse would mention it. There are no Bible examples of the apostles or the disciples keeping December 25th (or any appropriate corresponding day of the year) as a Christmas holy day. When the Roman Emporor, Constantine The Great (A.D. (285)306-337), used the corrupt manuscripts of Eusebius (A.D. 260-340) and Origin (A.D. 184-254) to merge Paganism with Christianity in the fourth century, the Roman church quite naturally incorporated pagan customs and rituals into her many unscriptural doctrines (praying to saints, use of images in worship, purgatory, Mary worship, Sunday sacredness, celibacy of the clergy, etc.). And, unlike the disciples in the New Testament who suffered rejection and persecution for the word of God and their faithfulness to the scriptures (1 Peter 4:3,4), many apostate Christians simply accepted these false doctrines and teachings and chose to observe anti-biblical pagan holy days (holidays), thus limiting or avoiding persecution altogether. There is not a single Bible verse indicating that the apostles or disciples practiced any of the heathen customs mentioned in the above article. There are, however, a number of scriptures in the Bible instructing us not to borrow the customs of the heathen or pagans to worship the true God: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen... For the customs of the people are vain:(Jer. 10:2,3). Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them... and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God:(Deut. 12:30,31). that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.(Lev. 18:30).
The Encyclopedia Britannica informs us that the festival of the nativity was not observed in the primitive church(Encyclopedia Britannica, 7th Ed., 1830-1842). Neither the apostles nor the early church celebrated His birth, at all. In 245 A.D., it was declared to be a sin even to think of keeping His birthday. The Reformation Protestants did not, Puritans and Pilgrims even outlawed it in the 1600's, and as late as 1855 Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists refused to recognize it as a holiday. Public schools in Boston were still open for classes on December 25th as late as 1870. In fact, Webster's Dictionary tells us that as late as 1913 many States did not even recognize it as a legal holiday (Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 Ed., p. 253). Christmas did not begin to be a legal holiday anywhere in the United States of America until the 19th century when Alabama became the first state to succumb to its spellbinding influence in 1836. The modern Christmas tree was not introduced to this country by Germans until the 19th century. The annual tradition of erecting a Christmas tree at the White House did not begin until 1889, some 113 years after the birth of our nation and 282 years after the first permanent English settlement in America (est. 1607, Jamestown, Virginia, named after King James I of England, a devout Christian). (Because of its heathen roots, Easter too was dismissed as a pagan holiday by the nation's founding Puritans and did not begin to be widely observed until after the Civil War era coinciding with the spread of Roman Catholicism). For a period of three hundred years, from the first permanent English settlement in America in 1607, the majority of Bible believing Christians did not celebrate Christmas in America. But with the influx of Roman Catholics since the mid to late 1800's the practice spread and gained acceptance by all but the "remnant".
Just why do so many professing Christians celebrate un-biblical/anti-biblical pagan holidays? Compromising the commandments of God with the comfort of the world is almost as old as man himself. It is almost always easier to go with the flow of the world than it is to go against the current of popular tradition. With the exception of a small remnant of faithful Bible believing Christians, practically the whole world (Hindu, Muslim, Mormon, Jewish, Pagan, even atheist) celebrates Christmas (and Easter (in some instances the names may have been changed, but the customs are unmistakably pagan in origin). The apostle John said, They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.(I John 4:5,6). The questions now presented to the professing Christian: (1) Is your final authority the Holy Bible which is the word of God? Or is your final authority your tradition and the desire of your own heart? (2) Will you be among the remnant of all that will live godly in Christ Jesus who shall suffer persecution for the word of God? Or will you be among the many compromisers and seducers who shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived? (Prov. 28:26; Matt. 15:3-9; Mark 7:6-16; II Tim. 3:12,13; I Pet. 1:25; Rev. 1:9; 6:9; 20:4)
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