CHRISTMAS IS DRIVEN BY A DECADENT SPIRIT
The spirit that really drives this holiday is not one from the Bible. Cal Thomas, a nominal Christian made this statement in 2003. He said he wondered if Xmas was worth keeping anymore. He felt it has become a road show for reindeer, winter scenes, elves and the God substitute, Santa Claus! Santa serves as a front for merchants seeking to play on the guilt parents bare for ignoring their kids the rest of the year. It certainly overwhelms anyone trying to focus on the real story of Jesus Christ. He feels that the great question is why participate in worship that has shifted from the babe in the manger to the babe in the Victoria Secrets' window. People will shop until they drop and some on black Fridays violently drop others in an all out greed frenzy. A spirit of out of control consumerism and greed dominates the holiday for many.
Further, about half of the employers this year are now limiting alcohol at Christmas office parties. In our current climate they know the party and booze will dramatically increase sexual assault lawsuits against the businesses and individuals. The true Biblical story of Jesus Christ's birth and its heroes and heroines is nearly unknown to the public. For instance the story of the parents of John the Baptist, a precursor to the birth of Jesus is never mentioned.
Luke 1:26-27 (NIV)
Now in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
Luke 1:57-69 (WEB)
57 Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she brought forth a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." They all marveled. 64 His mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, "What then will this child be?" The hand of the Lord was with him. 67 His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, 68 "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and worked redemption for his people; 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.
John as a fetus, celebrated meeting Jesus, also a fetus. Part of the birth of Christ is the miraculous birth of the Prophet who would announce His arrival and prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah to save the World. John, born as explained earlier in the paper in the spring, and Christ, followed in six months in the Fall. Who was John the Baptist? He was washing and cleaning the people before Jesus's ministry. How many ever ever hear this portion of the story of the birth of Jesus at Xmas time. No one hears this story. Putting the true birth story of Jesus into Christmas is an uphill struggle thanks to the Devil's 'Christmas Spirit Conspiracy' . If one wants to learn about Christ's birth Xmas is not really CONDUSIVE to such learning.
CHRISTMAS WAS NEVER CELEBRATED BY THE NEW COVENANT CHURCH
Christmas is nowhere mentioned in the New Testament. If it were as it is among nominal Christians today the number one holiday, you would expect it to be mentioned at least a few times. It is not mentioned once in the New Testament as a celebration of any sort. Not alluded to even indirectly once. The celebrations mentioned are those already described in the Old Testament. Paul even tells the Colossians not to let their pagan neighbors criticize them for keeping them. The Holy Days are alluded to a number of times in the New Testament including in The Book of Acts, the history of the early church. One would expect Xmas to be in the Book of Acts, if the Apostles kept it. Bible scholars know it was not kept by the early Apostolic Church. What was emphasized is the sacrifice of Christ as the real Lamb of God at the New Testament Passover.
1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (WEB)
6 Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump? 7 Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
The New Testament emphasizes, in the Book of John, the New Covenant Passover. Paul clearly shows that this is by far the most vital and important Christian celebration. Note the penalty for failing to properly commemorate the Passover sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:26-30
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord's cup in a manner unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn't discern the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep.
CHRISTMAS IS LARGELY A RECYCLED PAGAN HOLLOW CELEBRATION
The Devil wants hollow religion that does not make mankind closer to God. He has become a master of subtle deceit. What appears as good is really detrimental for mankind. He gives us recycled paganism in lower dosages. But it will not help us learn to love God or have peace on earth. Learning to love God is our highest aspiration. Pagan compromises push us further away from God. We all need to learn more about God and his true righteousness. Worldly religions do the opposite. Godly Biblical practices only can achieve this goal.
Mark 12:29-33
29 Jesus answered, "The greatest is, 'Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one: 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31 The second is like this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment than these." 33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
The Ten Commandments are the core of Godly righteousness. Christmas fundamentally promotes greed and excess consumption. Xmas violates the spirit of the Tenth Commandment on coveting. Society is drowning in materialism and greed. What do lighted trees, holly, mistletoe, yule logs, flying reindeer and St. Nick have to do with the true story of the birth of Christ? Often at this time of the year the theme 'Peace on Earth' is mentioned among all the shopping frenzy. This is a laudable theme. However it is not the complete story. Note the following scriptures. An angelic choir is singing.
Luke 2:14
14 "Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men."
Matthew 5:44-47
44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don't even the tax collectors do the same?
It is true that Jesus is a force for peace among his converts but for the world as a whole he would not bring peace at his first coming. Peace would be forced on this God rejecting world at his second coming.
Matthew 10:34-36
34 "Don't think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn't come to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 A man's foes will be those of his own household.
Christ knew that those who converted to the truth would be opposed by their own kin. If one wants to qualify for grace and salvation in the first resurrection they must stand for Christ against such pressure.
WHAT ELSE DID SATAN OBSCURE FROM THE WORLD WITH CHRISTMAS?
The major events obscured are the two comings of the Messiah Jesus, to this world and how they work together to save this world. The two events work together. The appearing to save this world first, as payment for our sins, and later the power to save the planet from evil self-destruction.
Matthew 24:21-22
21 for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. 22 Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.
The first coming of Christ has been lost in Satan's gifts shopping frenzy etc. Heroes and heroins like Mary's cousin Elizabeth and John the Baptist as he worked preparing the world for Christ's first appearing, are rarely mentioned. His second appearing will be likewise prepared by the two witnesses. The two stories should intertwine and support each other. But the world is distracted by reindeer and parties and lights and booze.
