Post by didymus on Sept 26, 2010 21:18:14 GMT -5
Back in December 2002, I wrote an article called, "The End of the Year Thing," that I published in a paper I called, "The Paper Pulpit." I reproduced it at Way of Truth, and now here, with very few changes. But, why now, we're 3 months away. I recently heard on the the news a report that department stores are already selling Christmas junk (my word, not their's). And, I saw on other forums people writing about being concerned about being alone for the holidays. Clearly, some people are thinking about it already.
THE END OF THE YEAR THING
SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 2:1-20
"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region there were shepherds in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying,
'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.'
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them." - Scripture taken from the English Standard Version
It's the end of the year again, and people are, supposedly, thinking about the birth of Christ. But, is that true? Thinking controls what people do. So, by what people do we can tell what they're thinking. Before you do a thing you generally think about it first. And, you may have thought about somethings for a long time. That's called premeditation. Some things we do become routine, like getting out of bed in the morning. Although, as you get older, sometimes that takes more thought than it use to. Somethings we do, and situations we get ourselves into demand quick responses. But, most of what we do happens in our head before we act. This is also true for what we speak, although we think less about what we say than what we do. Speaking is somewhat different than actions. Speaking often demands quick responses which are based more on what we already know than what we're thinking at the moment. But, there are those who are more contemplative about what they say.
With this in mind, can we say for certainty that people are thinking about the birth of Christ? I believe the contrary is true. Most people are likely thinking about the gifts they're going to buy. They are probably also thinking about the gifts they wish to receive. A vast majority of Americans are doing something called, "Christmas shopping." My question is this, just how is Christmas shopping connected to the birth of Christ? Both Matthew and Luke tell us the story of the birth of Christ. Forgive me, but I just don't see Christmas shopping in any of those two Biblical accounts. Nor can we find Christmas shopping in any of the Old Testament prophecies regarding the birth of the Messiah. Therefore, it is a Biblical fact that Christmas shopping is not connected in any way to the birth of Christ. So, how can one be thinking about the birth of Christ when they are Christmas shopping?
I will admit that the mind is very complex. People can be thinking about more than one thing at a time. But, there are dominant thoughts and recessive thoughts. Dominant thoughts are what controls our actions. Recessive thoughts generally come and go. One may come across a representation of the birth of Christ, called a nativity scene, and for a moment are reminded of the birth of Christ. But as soon as they resume their shopping activity, the more dominant thought takes over again and pushes any thought of the birth of Christ into the proverbial "back of the mind," if not out of the mind completely. Their thinking continues to be the gifts they want to buy and receive.
If Christmas shopping is connected to the birth of Christ, wouldn't Christmas shopping always cause us to think about the birth of Christ, or the birth of Christ always cause us to think about shopping? Considering this, what do you think about when you go to church Christmas eve? Do you think about Christ and all he did for us? Or is your mind on shopping? Is it proper to think about shopping while you're in a church service to commemorate the birth of Christ? Therefore, where is the connection of shopping to the birth of Christ?
I remember, back in the day when I was a Christmas celebrant, in my teen years, one of my dominant thoughts during this season was getting that special girl under the mistletoe, and there is certainly no connection of that with the birth of Christ. Yet, that is a part of the Christmas tradition. Of course, when I was younger, I couldn't wait to see what Santa put under the tree for me. This also has no connection to the birth of Christ, yet it too is still part of the Christmas tradition. Getting the girl under the mistletoe, looking for what Santa left under the tree for me, were my dominant thoughts during those years as a Christmas celebrant. The birth of Christ was a recessive thought. Even becoming a Christian didn't change that right away.
Eventually, I met people who had very different dominant thoughts at Christmas than mine. And after many, many hours of studying, my dominant thoughts at Christmas time are very much different. The birth of Christ became to me the blessed event it was always meant to be. The birth of Christ means more to me than what I can get under a tree, or that special girl I can get under the mistletoe. The birth of Christ means more to me than an economic shot in the arm for retailers. But then, I am no longer a Christmas celebrant. I came to the understanding that it is impossible, if you think of the the birth of Christ as you should, as the Bible indicates, to be a Christmas celebrant. There is not one ritual people do at Christmas time that is in any way, not even remotely, connected to the birth of Christ. Not shopping, caroling, staying home from school or work, getting girls under the mistletoe, rushing to see what's under the tree, getting drunk at "Christmas" parties, seeing Santa at the mall, putting trees in our homes and decking them with all kinds of decorations, etc. There is absolutely no connection of these things to the birth of Christ. If you can find it, I'd like to see it. Show it to me.
What is in the Bible regarding the birth of Christ? First of all, let's look at the prophecies. Isaiah 9 beginning at verse 6 states, "For unto us a child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD will perform this" - Isaiah 9.6&7 - NKJV - Isaiah 7.14 states, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold. the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." - NKJV - In these verses of scripture, is there any connection of the birth of Christ to what is called Christmas? I don't see any. Not one mention of shopping, Christmas trees, mistletoe, wreaths, gifts under a tree, etc. Therefore, we can't get Christmas out of Biblical prophecies regarding the birth of Christ.
Matthew and Luke tell us of the fulfillment of these prophecies. In these two accounts I see nothing that connects the birth of Christ with what is called Christmas. If you can see it, please share this with me.
However, there are some things I see that happened surrounding the birth of Christ that people wouldn't want to do at Christmas. Paying taxes, and being registered comes to mind. Luke 2.1 in the King James Version states, "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed." The New King James uses the word, "registered," instead of "taxed," while the New American Standard uses the word "census." Whether taxation, registration, or census, none are being done in the modern, worldly, religious celebration of the birth of Christ called Christmas. Imagine, if the United States government would pass a law providing that every citizen of the United States must go back to the town they were born in to register, be counted in a census, and pay their taxes, on December 25th, every year, what would that do to the celebration of Christmas?
Another event that surrounded the birth of Christ that would not be duplicated in the celebration of Christmas is the murder of innocent young boys, aged 2 years or less. Matthew 2.16 states, "then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wisemen [magi], was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wisemen."
You see, there are legitimate events surrounding the birth of Christ, paying taxes, registering in a government census, and the murder of innocent boys two years old and younger, that no one would duplicate as a ritual to be continued in the man-made tradition known as Christmas.
Missing from the Bible is any mention of the celebration of the birth of Christ. In the book entitled, "The Acts of the Apostles," which was written by Luke, and is the history of the early church, there is not one mention or indication that neither the Apostles nor the early church celebrated the birth of Christ. This begs the question, if Christians should celebrate the birth of Christ, why didn't they? Obviously, something must have happened between now and then that brought about this passionate celebration of Christmas. Was it an extra-biblical revelation that informed someone that the Apostles and the early church missed something? Imagine, 100 years after the birth of Christ, not one child rushed to the Christmas tree to tear apart a package to see what Santa brought them. Were these early Christian children neglected?
In fact, based on all my research, the soonest after the birth of Christ people began to celebrate was about about 200 hundred years later. And then, the when and how of the celebration varied in different geographical locations. Of course, that's what happens when there are no Biblical standards for a particular event. People in various places doing their own thing creating a god in their own image.
That brings me to Santa Claus. Talk about creating a god. According to a song about Santa Claus, "...he sees you when you're sleeping (all-seeing), he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good (all-knowing),..." Of course, we see this jolly, fat man everywhere at this time of the year, (all-present). Santa Claus has been made into a god. In fact, he is the god of Christmas.
What about the traditional Christmas story? There are differences from the Biblical narrative of the birth of Christ. Nativity scenes are usually a representation or depiction of the traditional Christmas story. there we see mom and a little baby in swaddling clothes with animals looking on. Shepherds coming in from the field where they were watching their flocks by night, where they were told, "a Savior who is Christ the Lord was born in the City of David." Then in many nativity scenes three stately gents with crowns on their heads come to the manger. there's even a song about these fellas called, "We Three Kings." The Bible doesn't mention three kings. In fact, the Bible doesn't mention three of anything, except the three types of gifts that they brought. Some translations say "wise men," while others use the word, "magi," still others use the word, "astrologers." They all agree that these guys came from the East, but no mention of how many there were. Also, these wise men never went to the manger. Matthew 2:11 states, "And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense and myrrh." [NKJV] You can see, these wise men never showed up at the manger, as the traditional Christmas story tells it. but the Bible says something different. However, far be it from us to allow Biblical truth get in the way of a good story.
If Christmas did not come from the Bible, and I think that's apparent, where did it come from? I have many sources to draw from to get this information. "BAALMAS" Baal's-Mass - Xmas -, by Evangelist Lawrence B. Brunk; "Should A Christian Celebrate Christmas," by Dr. W.R. Crews; "The Truth About Christmas," by R.F. Becker; an article entitled, "Where Is Christ In Christmas," written by David Ingraham and published by "The Gospel Truth," a publication of Southwest Radio Church; "The Plain Truth About Christmas," published by The Worldwide Church of God; "The Case Against Christmas - You Must Decide," published by the Assemblies of Yahweh; and a plethora of single articles that have been sent to me through the years. I've also spent many hours in the library looking up everything I could find about Christmas.
Let's begin with the word, "Christmas." I've heard many times that words mean things, and that those meanings are important. For this, I quote from the December 15, 1991 issue of, "The Winnower," published by Robert C. Woodard of Lubbock, Texas. "Christmas: Lit. Christ - Mass (according to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary) Mass is something said and done for a dead person (one who has passed on). There cannot be a mass for Christ because He lives and is not dead." Therefore, the word "Christmas" itself should be enough to let one know that Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Christ. The word indicates the commemoration of the death of Christ. The American Heritage Dictionary defines "Mass" this way, "In certain Christian Churches, the celebration of the Eucharist."
What about the date - December 25th? For this I quote, "BAALMAS," by Evangelist Lawrence B. Brunk. "Xmas has its roots in paganism. There is no question about this. Read any encyclopedia on the subject. December 25th was a pagan festival day thousands of years BEFORE Jesus was born! (As was Easter which many Christians think is a Christian term related to the resurrection of Jesus. This also is a false teaching and observance.)"
"How then did this particular day - December 25th - ever find it's way into Christian circles as we see today? The pagans were 'sun-worshipers.' Worshipers of Baal, the Sun god. Ezekiel tells us a lot about this as do many other writers in the Scriptures. On December 25th (and the days around it) the Baal-Sun-god worshipers became alarmed about the short days and the long cold nights. They proceeded to take measures to wake up their sun-god and get him back on the job. In order to do this they would build great brush fires and light torches until the days began to lengthen and become warmer. This kind of sun-god Baal worship went on for centuries during the Old Testament period before Christ was born!"
"The early apostolic church, of course, had no part of it and the commission of God through His prophets and apostles warned the people to renounce their heathen and pagan practices and serve the only true God. By the third and fourth centuries, AFTER CHRIST, the Roman Church had apostatized to such an extent that they began to adopt the pagan practices of Baal and sun-god worship. Among them was this pagan thing of December 25th. The apostate church invited the pagans to accept baptism and come into the church. The unconverted pagans, of course, would not give up their heathen religious observances. Then the most terrible thing took place! The apostate Roman Church made a proposition to the pagans that if they would accept baptism and the Eucharist, they could keep their pagan observances and the Church would simply attach Christian events to their pagan religious dates and they would both get along together! Thus the Xmas and Easter business was introduced to the Church world. (As were other unscriptural practices.) THE LITTLE BETHLEHEM JESUS WAS BETRAYED INTO THE HANDS OF SINNERS BY NAMING HIS BIRTHDAY AS DECEMBER 25th, WHICH WAS A CENTURIES OLD PAGAN RITE!"
"So, the pagans came in and the honor of our dear Savior went out! The same was true regarding Easter and the resurrection of Jesus. What a shame and what a crime that well-meaning Christians today have convinced themselves that they are doing a good service by insisting on keeping our Savior's birthday in the ages old pagan festival days."
Evangelist Brunk wrote this in December 1982, when he was sixty-five. I thank God for his insightful article.
There is a plethora of historical evidence that connects Christmas to Baal worship. Why is that important? For that we go to the Bible. Judges 2:11-14 states, "The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals; and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers ... and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them ... and they provoked the LORD to anger. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel ......" The Scriptures here talk about God's anger towards those that would serve Baal and the Ashtoreths. And there are other Scriptures that warn against idolatry as well. And since there is so much historical evidence that Christmas is connected to Baal worship, how can Christmas be pleasing to God?
Deuteronomy 12:29-32 states, "When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.' You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it." Notice how God forbids his people to worship him in the way the heathen worship their gods. And that is exactly what Christmas is. Yet, most people, even those that call themselves Christians, either can't or won't see it. Probably because it's been shrouded in man-made religious tradition and dogma.
Would you celebrate the birth of Christ by using the rituals of Holloween? Imagine, young boys and girls traveling throughout the city, going from door to door, wearing costumes to make them look like Joseph and Mary, with the girls carrying dolls in swaddling clothes to symbolize baby Jesus. They knock on doors and shout, "blessing or curse." People open their doors and give out candy in wrappings marked gold, frankincense, or myrrh. That sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? And it is. No one would suggest that we do something like that. But, what's the difference between that and what is now called Christmas?
Even when I was a Christmas celebrant, there were things that went on at Christmas time that I disagreed with. I believe it was Jerry Falwell I first heard say that sending money to his ministry is like giving a birthday gift to Jesus. At his church, Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, they put on something called the human Christmas tree. I believe you even have to pay admission to get into see it. This is highly ridiculous. It's almost as if Pope Liberius himself was Pastor of Thomas Road Baptists Church.
You might ask, "who was Pope Liberius?" He was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 352-366A.D. This means he was Pope at the time the apostate Roman Church came up with that hideous proposition that mixed the birth of Christ with pagan observances.
According to John 16:13, Jesus said, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will you tell you things to come." Jesus, of course, was speaking to His disciples. Except for Judas Iscariot, they all became apostles. Jesus told them that the "SPIRIT OF TRUTH" would guide them "INTO ALL TRUTH." He also told them that the same Spirit would tell them "THINGS TO COME." But, perhaps most important, Jesus told them that the Spirit "WILL NOT SPEAK ON HIS OWN AUTHORITY." If the Spirit was not speaking on his own authority, then whose? The obvious answer is Christ.
Now, what about this "ALL TRUTH" the Spirit would tell the apostles? Did he tell them that the birth of Christ should be celebrated? If so, then why wasn't it written anywhere in the New Testament? It's obvious, the Spirit of truth by the authority of Christ never told the apostles about any celebration of the birth of Christ, not then or in the future. To say any different then the Spirit of truth failed to give the apostles "ALL TRUTH," and that would make Jesus a liar.
No matter how you look at it, historically or Biblically, there is no authority from God the Father, Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit, or the apostles to mix the virgin birth of Christ with pagan observances. In fact, it's very much to the contrary. Besides a plethora of Old Testament prophets that warn against such things. In the New Testament there's II Corinthians 6:14-18. Among other things there, it is indicated that the temple of God has no agreement with idols. Yet, here it is, almost 2000 years after the birth of Christ, many are accepting the mixing of the birth of Christ with idolatry. How can this be? And, how can this be at all be pleasing to God? And, what will be the end of those who accept this paganized birth of Christ?
I urge you to read Ezekiel chapters 8&9. Ezekiel 8 talks about abominations in the temple. Note in verse 14, it is stated, "So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord's house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz." The New Compact Bible Dictionary (1976) says this about Tammuz; "a fertility god widely worshiped in Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine; equivalent to Osiris in Egypt and Adonis of the Greeks. His consort was the goddess Ishtar (Astarte or Ashoreth). The only mention of him in the Bible occurs in connection with the custom of women mourning for him (Ezek. 8:14), which being observed at the very gate of the temple of the true God, seemed to the prophet one of the most abominable idolatries." The importance of this mention of Tammuz is that historically he was a central figure in Baal worship.
What happened as a result of the abominations in chapter 8? I chapter 9 we are told that God told a man to go though Jerusalem marking the foreheads of "men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it." (v.4) In verse 5, God told him what to do with the rest; "Go after him through the city an kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary."
Folks, this is how serious it is to mix the birth of Christ with pagan observances, and to continue to celebrate the birth of Christ in this way. It is idolatrous and very displeasing to God. Once you understand this, how can you say it's okay to keep celebrating Christmas? The birth of Christ is a blessed event to be sure. And, because it is a blessed event, don't you agree that our Lord and Savior deserves better than to have His birth mixed with idolatry?
As I often do, I admit that I am but a frail, imperfect human being, limited in knowledge and wisdom. Therefore I urge you to study the truth about Christmas for yourself. Perhaps you'll find different historical or Biblical evidence that I don't know anything about which might even change my mind. But, the historical and Biblical evidence that I have found so far indicates that all I have written in this article is absolutely true.
If this article is absolutely true, shouldn't Christians everywhere repent and abandon this idolatrous celebration? If Christians do repent of this wickedness, God will hear from Heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land. (see II Chronicles 7:14)
Can this end of the year thing be of God? Study it, and see for yourself. As for me and my house, I will serve the Lord.
---
Well, there it is. A reproduction of an article I wrote in December 2002. Colors were added for certain quotes. And, all Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated.
Now, it's your turn.
THE END OF THE YEAR THING
SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 2:1-20
"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region there were shepherds in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying,
'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.'
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them." - Scripture taken from the English Standard Version
It's the end of the year again, and people are, supposedly, thinking about the birth of Christ. But, is that true? Thinking controls what people do. So, by what people do we can tell what they're thinking. Before you do a thing you generally think about it first. And, you may have thought about somethings for a long time. That's called premeditation. Some things we do become routine, like getting out of bed in the morning. Although, as you get older, sometimes that takes more thought than it use to. Somethings we do, and situations we get ourselves into demand quick responses. But, most of what we do happens in our head before we act. This is also true for what we speak, although we think less about what we say than what we do. Speaking is somewhat different than actions. Speaking often demands quick responses which are based more on what we already know than what we're thinking at the moment. But, there are those who are more contemplative about what they say.
With this in mind, can we say for certainty that people are thinking about the birth of Christ? I believe the contrary is true. Most people are likely thinking about the gifts they're going to buy. They are probably also thinking about the gifts they wish to receive. A vast majority of Americans are doing something called, "Christmas shopping." My question is this, just how is Christmas shopping connected to the birth of Christ? Both Matthew and Luke tell us the story of the birth of Christ. Forgive me, but I just don't see Christmas shopping in any of those two Biblical accounts. Nor can we find Christmas shopping in any of the Old Testament prophecies regarding the birth of the Messiah. Therefore, it is a Biblical fact that Christmas shopping is not connected in any way to the birth of Christ. So, how can one be thinking about the birth of Christ when they are Christmas shopping?
I will admit that the mind is very complex. People can be thinking about more than one thing at a time. But, there are dominant thoughts and recessive thoughts. Dominant thoughts are what controls our actions. Recessive thoughts generally come and go. One may come across a representation of the birth of Christ, called a nativity scene, and for a moment are reminded of the birth of Christ. But as soon as they resume their shopping activity, the more dominant thought takes over again and pushes any thought of the birth of Christ into the proverbial "back of the mind," if not out of the mind completely. Their thinking continues to be the gifts they want to buy and receive.
If Christmas shopping is connected to the birth of Christ, wouldn't Christmas shopping always cause us to think about the birth of Christ, or the birth of Christ always cause us to think about shopping? Considering this, what do you think about when you go to church Christmas eve? Do you think about Christ and all he did for us? Or is your mind on shopping? Is it proper to think about shopping while you're in a church service to commemorate the birth of Christ? Therefore, where is the connection of shopping to the birth of Christ?
I remember, back in the day when I was a Christmas celebrant, in my teen years, one of my dominant thoughts during this season was getting that special girl under the mistletoe, and there is certainly no connection of that with the birth of Christ. Yet, that is a part of the Christmas tradition. Of course, when I was younger, I couldn't wait to see what Santa put under the tree for me. This also has no connection to the birth of Christ, yet it too is still part of the Christmas tradition. Getting the girl under the mistletoe, looking for what Santa left under the tree for me, were my dominant thoughts during those years as a Christmas celebrant. The birth of Christ was a recessive thought. Even becoming a Christian didn't change that right away.
Eventually, I met people who had very different dominant thoughts at Christmas than mine. And after many, many hours of studying, my dominant thoughts at Christmas time are very much different. The birth of Christ became to me the blessed event it was always meant to be. The birth of Christ means more to me than what I can get under a tree, or that special girl I can get under the mistletoe. The birth of Christ means more to me than an economic shot in the arm for retailers. But then, I am no longer a Christmas celebrant. I came to the understanding that it is impossible, if you think of the the birth of Christ as you should, as the Bible indicates, to be a Christmas celebrant. There is not one ritual people do at Christmas time that is in any way, not even remotely, connected to the birth of Christ. Not shopping, caroling, staying home from school or work, getting girls under the mistletoe, rushing to see what's under the tree, getting drunk at "Christmas" parties, seeing Santa at the mall, putting trees in our homes and decking them with all kinds of decorations, etc. There is absolutely no connection of these things to the birth of Christ. If you can find it, I'd like to see it. Show it to me.
What is in the Bible regarding the birth of Christ? First of all, let's look at the prophecies. Isaiah 9 beginning at verse 6 states, "For unto us a child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD will perform this" - Isaiah 9.6&7 - NKJV - Isaiah 7.14 states, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold. the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." - NKJV - In these verses of scripture, is there any connection of the birth of Christ to what is called Christmas? I don't see any. Not one mention of shopping, Christmas trees, mistletoe, wreaths, gifts under a tree, etc. Therefore, we can't get Christmas out of Biblical prophecies regarding the birth of Christ.
Matthew and Luke tell us of the fulfillment of these prophecies. In these two accounts I see nothing that connects the birth of Christ with what is called Christmas. If you can see it, please share this with me.
However, there are some things I see that happened surrounding the birth of Christ that people wouldn't want to do at Christmas. Paying taxes, and being registered comes to mind. Luke 2.1 in the King James Version states, "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed." The New King James uses the word, "registered," instead of "taxed," while the New American Standard uses the word "census." Whether taxation, registration, or census, none are being done in the modern, worldly, religious celebration of the birth of Christ called Christmas. Imagine, if the United States government would pass a law providing that every citizen of the United States must go back to the town they were born in to register, be counted in a census, and pay their taxes, on December 25th, every year, what would that do to the celebration of Christmas?
Another event that surrounded the birth of Christ that would not be duplicated in the celebration of Christmas is the murder of innocent young boys, aged 2 years or less. Matthew 2.16 states, "then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wisemen [magi], was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wisemen."
You see, there are legitimate events surrounding the birth of Christ, paying taxes, registering in a government census, and the murder of innocent boys two years old and younger, that no one would duplicate as a ritual to be continued in the man-made tradition known as Christmas.
Missing from the Bible is any mention of the celebration of the birth of Christ. In the book entitled, "The Acts of the Apostles," which was written by Luke, and is the history of the early church, there is not one mention or indication that neither the Apostles nor the early church celebrated the birth of Christ. This begs the question, if Christians should celebrate the birth of Christ, why didn't they? Obviously, something must have happened between now and then that brought about this passionate celebration of Christmas. Was it an extra-biblical revelation that informed someone that the Apostles and the early church missed something? Imagine, 100 years after the birth of Christ, not one child rushed to the Christmas tree to tear apart a package to see what Santa brought them. Were these early Christian children neglected?
In fact, based on all my research, the soonest after the birth of Christ people began to celebrate was about about 200 hundred years later. And then, the when and how of the celebration varied in different geographical locations. Of course, that's what happens when there are no Biblical standards for a particular event. People in various places doing their own thing creating a god in their own image.
That brings me to Santa Claus. Talk about creating a god. According to a song about Santa Claus, "...he sees you when you're sleeping (all-seeing), he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good (all-knowing),..." Of course, we see this jolly, fat man everywhere at this time of the year, (all-present). Santa Claus has been made into a god. In fact, he is the god of Christmas.
What about the traditional Christmas story? There are differences from the Biblical narrative of the birth of Christ. Nativity scenes are usually a representation or depiction of the traditional Christmas story. there we see mom and a little baby in swaddling clothes with animals looking on. Shepherds coming in from the field where they were watching their flocks by night, where they were told, "a Savior who is Christ the Lord was born in the City of David." Then in many nativity scenes three stately gents with crowns on their heads come to the manger. there's even a song about these fellas called, "We Three Kings." The Bible doesn't mention three kings. In fact, the Bible doesn't mention three of anything, except the three types of gifts that they brought. Some translations say "wise men," while others use the word, "magi," still others use the word, "astrologers." They all agree that these guys came from the East, but no mention of how many there were. Also, these wise men never went to the manger. Matthew 2:11 states, "And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense and myrrh." [NKJV] You can see, these wise men never showed up at the manger, as the traditional Christmas story tells it. but the Bible says something different. However, far be it from us to allow Biblical truth get in the way of a good story.
If Christmas did not come from the Bible, and I think that's apparent, where did it come from? I have many sources to draw from to get this information. "BAALMAS" Baal's-Mass - Xmas -, by Evangelist Lawrence B. Brunk; "Should A Christian Celebrate Christmas," by Dr. W.R. Crews; "The Truth About Christmas," by R.F. Becker; an article entitled, "Where Is Christ In Christmas," written by David Ingraham and published by "The Gospel Truth," a publication of Southwest Radio Church; "The Plain Truth About Christmas," published by The Worldwide Church of God; "The Case Against Christmas - You Must Decide," published by the Assemblies of Yahweh; and a plethora of single articles that have been sent to me through the years. I've also spent many hours in the library looking up everything I could find about Christmas.
Let's begin with the word, "Christmas." I've heard many times that words mean things, and that those meanings are important. For this, I quote from the December 15, 1991 issue of, "The Winnower," published by Robert C. Woodard of Lubbock, Texas. "Christmas: Lit. Christ - Mass (according to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary) Mass is something said and done for a dead person (one who has passed on). There cannot be a mass for Christ because He lives and is not dead." Therefore, the word "Christmas" itself should be enough to let one know that Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Christ. The word indicates the commemoration of the death of Christ. The American Heritage Dictionary defines "Mass" this way, "In certain Christian Churches, the celebration of the Eucharist."
What about the date - December 25th? For this I quote, "BAALMAS," by Evangelist Lawrence B. Brunk. "Xmas has its roots in paganism. There is no question about this. Read any encyclopedia on the subject. December 25th was a pagan festival day thousands of years BEFORE Jesus was born! (As was Easter which many Christians think is a Christian term related to the resurrection of Jesus. This also is a false teaching and observance.)"
"How then did this particular day - December 25th - ever find it's way into Christian circles as we see today? The pagans were 'sun-worshipers.' Worshipers of Baal, the Sun god. Ezekiel tells us a lot about this as do many other writers in the Scriptures. On December 25th (and the days around it) the Baal-Sun-god worshipers became alarmed about the short days and the long cold nights. They proceeded to take measures to wake up their sun-god and get him back on the job. In order to do this they would build great brush fires and light torches until the days began to lengthen and become warmer. This kind of sun-god Baal worship went on for centuries during the Old Testament period before Christ was born!"
"The early apostolic church, of course, had no part of it and the commission of God through His prophets and apostles warned the people to renounce their heathen and pagan practices and serve the only true God. By the third and fourth centuries, AFTER CHRIST, the Roman Church had apostatized to such an extent that they began to adopt the pagan practices of Baal and sun-god worship. Among them was this pagan thing of December 25th. The apostate church invited the pagans to accept baptism and come into the church. The unconverted pagans, of course, would not give up their heathen religious observances. Then the most terrible thing took place! The apostate Roman Church made a proposition to the pagans that if they would accept baptism and the Eucharist, they could keep their pagan observances and the Church would simply attach Christian events to their pagan religious dates and they would both get along together! Thus the Xmas and Easter business was introduced to the Church world. (As were other unscriptural practices.) THE LITTLE BETHLEHEM JESUS WAS BETRAYED INTO THE HANDS OF SINNERS BY NAMING HIS BIRTHDAY AS DECEMBER 25th, WHICH WAS A CENTURIES OLD PAGAN RITE!"
"So, the pagans came in and the honor of our dear Savior went out! The same was true regarding Easter and the resurrection of Jesus. What a shame and what a crime that well-meaning Christians today have convinced themselves that they are doing a good service by insisting on keeping our Savior's birthday in the ages old pagan festival days."
Evangelist Brunk wrote this in December 1982, when he was sixty-five. I thank God for his insightful article.
There is a plethora of historical evidence that connects Christmas to Baal worship. Why is that important? For that we go to the Bible. Judges 2:11-14 states, "The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals; and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers ... and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them ... and they provoked the LORD to anger. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel ......" The Scriptures here talk about God's anger towards those that would serve Baal and the Ashtoreths. And there are other Scriptures that warn against idolatry as well. And since there is so much historical evidence that Christmas is connected to Baal worship, how can Christmas be pleasing to God?
Deuteronomy 12:29-32 states, "When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.' You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it." Notice how God forbids his people to worship him in the way the heathen worship their gods. And that is exactly what Christmas is. Yet, most people, even those that call themselves Christians, either can't or won't see it. Probably because it's been shrouded in man-made religious tradition and dogma.
Would you celebrate the birth of Christ by using the rituals of Holloween? Imagine, young boys and girls traveling throughout the city, going from door to door, wearing costumes to make them look like Joseph and Mary, with the girls carrying dolls in swaddling clothes to symbolize baby Jesus. They knock on doors and shout, "blessing or curse." People open their doors and give out candy in wrappings marked gold, frankincense, or myrrh. That sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? And it is. No one would suggest that we do something like that. But, what's the difference between that and what is now called Christmas?
Even when I was a Christmas celebrant, there were things that went on at Christmas time that I disagreed with. I believe it was Jerry Falwell I first heard say that sending money to his ministry is like giving a birthday gift to Jesus. At his church, Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, they put on something called the human Christmas tree. I believe you even have to pay admission to get into see it. This is highly ridiculous. It's almost as if Pope Liberius himself was Pastor of Thomas Road Baptists Church.
You might ask, "who was Pope Liberius?" He was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 352-366A.D. This means he was Pope at the time the apostate Roman Church came up with that hideous proposition that mixed the birth of Christ with pagan observances.
According to John 16:13, Jesus said, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will you tell you things to come." Jesus, of course, was speaking to His disciples. Except for Judas Iscariot, they all became apostles. Jesus told them that the "SPIRIT OF TRUTH" would guide them "INTO ALL TRUTH." He also told them that the same Spirit would tell them "THINGS TO COME." But, perhaps most important, Jesus told them that the Spirit "WILL NOT SPEAK ON HIS OWN AUTHORITY." If the Spirit was not speaking on his own authority, then whose? The obvious answer is Christ.
Now, what about this "ALL TRUTH" the Spirit would tell the apostles? Did he tell them that the birth of Christ should be celebrated? If so, then why wasn't it written anywhere in the New Testament? It's obvious, the Spirit of truth by the authority of Christ never told the apostles about any celebration of the birth of Christ, not then or in the future. To say any different then the Spirit of truth failed to give the apostles "ALL TRUTH," and that would make Jesus a liar.
No matter how you look at it, historically or Biblically, there is no authority from God the Father, Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit, or the apostles to mix the virgin birth of Christ with pagan observances. In fact, it's very much to the contrary. Besides a plethora of Old Testament prophets that warn against such things. In the New Testament there's II Corinthians 6:14-18. Among other things there, it is indicated that the temple of God has no agreement with idols. Yet, here it is, almost 2000 years after the birth of Christ, many are accepting the mixing of the birth of Christ with idolatry. How can this be? And, how can this be at all be pleasing to God? And, what will be the end of those who accept this paganized birth of Christ?
I urge you to read Ezekiel chapters 8&9. Ezekiel 8 talks about abominations in the temple. Note in verse 14, it is stated, "So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord's house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz." The New Compact Bible Dictionary (1976) says this about Tammuz; "a fertility god widely worshiped in Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine; equivalent to Osiris in Egypt and Adonis of the Greeks. His consort was the goddess Ishtar (Astarte or Ashoreth). The only mention of him in the Bible occurs in connection with the custom of women mourning for him (Ezek. 8:14), which being observed at the very gate of the temple of the true God, seemed to the prophet one of the most abominable idolatries." The importance of this mention of Tammuz is that historically he was a central figure in Baal worship.
What happened as a result of the abominations in chapter 8? I chapter 9 we are told that God told a man to go though Jerusalem marking the foreheads of "men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it." (v.4) In verse 5, God told him what to do with the rest; "Go after him through the city an kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary."
Folks, this is how serious it is to mix the birth of Christ with pagan observances, and to continue to celebrate the birth of Christ in this way. It is idolatrous and very displeasing to God. Once you understand this, how can you say it's okay to keep celebrating Christmas? The birth of Christ is a blessed event to be sure. And, because it is a blessed event, don't you agree that our Lord and Savior deserves better than to have His birth mixed with idolatry?
As I often do, I admit that I am but a frail, imperfect human being, limited in knowledge and wisdom. Therefore I urge you to study the truth about Christmas for yourself. Perhaps you'll find different historical or Biblical evidence that I don't know anything about which might even change my mind. But, the historical and Biblical evidence that I have found so far indicates that all I have written in this article is absolutely true.
If this article is absolutely true, shouldn't Christians everywhere repent and abandon this idolatrous celebration? If Christians do repent of this wickedness, God will hear from Heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land. (see II Chronicles 7:14)
Can this end of the year thing be of God? Study it, and see for yourself. As for me and my house, I will serve the Lord.
---
Well, there it is. A reproduction of an article I wrote in December 2002. Colors were added for certain quotes. And, all Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated.
Now, it's your turn.
You are lucky I'm in an hysterical mood, or I might be upset or offended.
