The new billboards that have gone up showing the magi following the star with the caption, "You Know It's a Myth," is partly accurate. The atheists hope their message will turn people away from the truth of the incarnation of God in the Lord Jesus Christ, but they will only convince fellow atheists. Christians, on the other hand, need to face the facts that there are myths associated with Christ/mas - a mixture of truth and myth. "Christ" represents the truth; "mas" represents the myth.
It is a well-known fact that Christmas and the Advent season is a Roman Catholic invention that blended the truth of the story of the Incarnation with the pagan celebration of the winter's solstice. The pagan feast of Saturnalia was a celebration of the new season and a time of revelry, drinking, and gift-giving. A recent documentary on the A&E channel showed how the pagan celebration was so much a part of Roman culture. Now atheists and other unbelievers seem to want to return to its unchristianized roots.
Yet so much of today's Western culture has already taken Christ out of Christmas. It has become a time of materialism and greed known for its commercialism. Black Friday really captures the spirit of Christmas where people trample over one another to be the first one to grab the latest popular electronic device off the shelf.
Seeing how wordly Christmas is, how should a Bible-believing Christian celebrate it? Or should true believers even acknowledge it? We do have the freedom in Christ to honor the birth of Christ on December 25th or to shun it.
When deciding, consider a very important fact - Christmas is the one day a year that the world actually pays homage to the King of kings. It can be an open door to share the Gospel of Salvation with our lost family members and friends - so why would we let an opportunity go by?
But we must focus their attention on the truth part of Christmas - Christ. Sing the songs that lift Him up and stay away from the songs that celebrate that imposter Santa Claus. Teach our children the difference between the truth of Christ and the myth of the mass and Santa, and refuse to go along with our culture's pressure to lie to our children about who fills the stockings.
The song, "O Holy Night" is my favorite Christmas carol:
O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh hear the angel voices!
Oh night divine! Oh night when Christ was born!
Oh night divine! Oh night! Oh night divine!
When unbelievers sing "Fall on your knees," I envision the time when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11). Even those who curse Him today, such as the ones who put up those awful billboards, will one day bow before Him even before being hurled into the lake of fire.
Christmas in some form will be around, I'm convinced, until He returns. When the two witnesses are killed by the antichrist in the middle of the Tribulation, could it be during the Yuletide season? After all, it will be a time of giving gifts according to the book of Revelation.
"And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.” Rev. 11:10
What about the pagan roots of Christmas? Should we even celebrate this day as the Bible clearly speaks that we are not to observe the feast of the World. Jesus was born the first day of the feast of Tabernacles in 5bc, so why do we follow this pagan holiday.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vbe1bXqIkk&feature=related
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Forerunner, about the pagan roots of this winter solstice festival.
ReplyDeleteOne cannot imagine for a minute the early Christians having any part in it, and for hundreds of years, none of them did, until the Roman church let the pagans into the "church" without dropping their pagan practices.
If God, when He gave the Law, went to such lengths to demonstrate His rejection of mixtures (instructions not to plough with two different animals, not to weave together different types of thread, etc) and in many verses in His Word admonishes us not to mix sacred with profane, then shouldn't we examine our practices to see if they line up with the Bible?
I can't find a verse where God tells us to celebrate His Son's birth, in the sense of creating an annual festival for it. Of course, Jesus's birth, and all the circumstances surrounding it, are extremely important, but why use a pagan festival as an occasion to remember them?
That is apart from the way most of the cosy pictures of the event are a mixture of fact and fiction, such as the shepherds being led by a star, the magi being at the caravanserail at the same time as the shepherds, etc. Also Joseph and Mary (on a donkey, not mentioned in the scriptures) going from one inn to another on their arrival in Bethlehem, whereas a smallish town like Bethlehem would most likely only have had one caravanserail, with rooms for travelers and areas for their animals: donkeys, camels, and perhaps horses, but certainly not cows.
But that's a whole other debate, isn't it?
I feel strongly that Bible-believing Christians, most of whom are aware of the Saturnalia behind the festival, should not spend time trying to "put Christ back into Christmas", when he was never there in the first place. They should have the courage to drop the whole thing.
It's not easy, it's not comfortable, swimming against the stream, but as a song said "any old dead fish can go downstream with the rest; only in God can we swim against the tide and stand the test".
yes indeed. and what right have we to "Christianize" pagan festivals? God forbade the Israelites to do it. What makes us think he allows us to do it?
ReplyDeleteHow can we put Christ back into something pagan anyway? he was never there in the first place.
This year I did much research on the Christmas story so I could teach my senior Sunday School class about the truth of Christmas. Like Forerunner I found that Jesus was born during the feast of Tabernacles in 5 BC. Ideally, I believe we should celebrate Christmas in the fall. But the difference between the Hebrew calendar and the Roman calendar make nailing down a date impossible. And since the church has failed in it's task to strive for the truth in it's proclamation of the gospel, turning the church around is going to be a monumental task. However, I am reminded of Paul's approach when he saw the inscription on an idol that read, "To the unknown god." He knew he had to get their attention and start where they were, in order to bring them to where they should be. I wrote two Sunday School lessons for my ladies (that took us three weeks to get through) and showed them from scripture how to figure when Jesus was born. Using information from the Answers In Genesis website, I showed them how the Greek word translated "inn" probably wasn't an inn as we think of it, but a "guest room" (Gr. kataluma, not pandocheion) in a house, probably of one of Joseph's relatives. But I used the cultural tendancy to think of Christmas in December as sort of a "launching pad" to lead them to a knowledge of the truth about Christmas according to scripture. We who know the truth can proclaim it, but sometimes we have to go where the sheep have wondered off to, to finally lead them back home.
ReplyDeleteDid Jesus preach Christmas ? Did the apostles preach Christmas? Which good news are u preaching, THE GOSPEL or The Christmas. Read Galatians 1:6-10, 2 Corinthians 11:3-4.
DeleteThe article says "We do have the freedom in Christ to honor the birth of Christ on December 25th or to shun it."
ReplyDeleteWhere does theBible give us that freedom?
SCriture makes it quite clear that we are NOT to copy pagan practices to worship YHWH!
"How do these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so unto Jehovah thy God: for every abomination to Jehovah, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods. 32 What thing soever I command you, that shall ye observe to do: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Deut 12:30-32 (ASV)
22 Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all mine ordinances, and do them; that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out. 23 And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
Lev 20:22-23 (ASV)
Just another comment.
ReplyDeleteHow is this insistence that Christmas is OK different from any other deviation from Biblical teaching? How are the arguments of those who defend it different from Benny Hinn or Patricia White when they incorporate suspect practices?
I fully agree with your comments, Eve. Being a Christian is not about doing what I think (or feel) is right, but doing what God has told us to do, and not doing what He has told us not to do.
ReplyDeleteThe King James Version state:
ReplyDeleteJeremiah 10:2-5
{10:1} Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: {10:2} 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. {10:3} 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. {10:4} They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. {10:5} They [are] upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also [is it] in them to do good.
Is there a season that people cutteth a tree out of the forest; deck it with silver and with gold; fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not? Christmas is not of God, it is of man and should not be observed in any way, shape, or form by Christians.
ReplyDeletesanta/satan wants to imitate God and be worshiped by all; what better way than to trick the world into believing we are worshiping the birth of Christ and are really worshiping the devil. Having billions of children believing in Santa; having children praying or asking Santa for presents causes a whole generation to worship satan.
It is not a coincidence that so many similarities occur regarding Christmas, Easter, and other pagan festivals and practices that were introduced into Christianity. satan wants to corrupt all things of God. We as Christians must not try to even see to salvage any part of pagan practices. Do not try to understand why they do what they do because with empathy you will possible accept the practice in part or as a whole. Keep the focus on the Lord and all of His commandments to us, not just the well known ten. May God in heaven, bless and keep us all. Amen
The belief that since Christmas was marked upon a pagan holiday and thus must be shunned by the believer falls upon what is known as the fallacy of origins, or genetic fallacy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_fallacy). The fact that the Christian celebration is Christo-centric and thus intrinsically opposed to the pagan rituals. If this celebration were more similar to the Saturnalia from which it is supposed to have originated, it would be clearly profane and vulgar. Should we blend with sinful social rituals? By no means! But should we shun that which has been sanctified unto the Lord? May God forbid! The principle bestowed upon us by Acts 10:12-15, that which has been sanctified by the Lord is not to be called "common", might have implication indirectly to this situation, though it is a weak argument since this refers the Gospel going to Gentiles. However, bear in mind the implication of Paul's theology in I Corinthians 8:8-ff. If we are not purified or tainted by food, why would it be different for a celebration? just some food for thought.
ReplyDeleteThe Scripture quoted, "Act 10:12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
ReplyDeleteAct 10:13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
Act 10:14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
Act 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
Act 10:16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
Act 10:17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,
Act 10:18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there." must be maintained in context and not taken out to justify something that God has not "been sanctified by the Lord". In this case is asked, "But should we shun that which is sanctified unto the Lord?". Please remember the context in which this was used, God had made a way for the Gentiles to be accepted thru Jesus (Our Savior) and Peter had always set himself apart and had nothing to do with them, God knew this and prepared him to receive these gentiles. We cannot make traditions and manmade creations, holidays, days and etc. then say we can set them apart for the Lord and say it is "sanctified unto the Lord" when He has already set us the perfect example in Christ and in all of Scripture. We need to be careful how we apply Scripture and make sure we don't go after things of men.
Act 14:11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
Act 14:12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
Act 14:13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
Act 14:14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
Act 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
Act 14:16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
Act 14:17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.