The Difference May Be Indifference

Two days after Christmas.

For my family, two days after the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

After seeing that there are a now total of 105 comments (as of this writing) in response to my Christ, Christians, And Christmas piece (14 which were posted between 5:30pm Christmas Eve and 11:30pm Christmas Day; a big number), I felt obliged to post some final comments on this subject (at least until next year) before moving on to other things.

I want to start out by just mentioning that the Christmas Eve service I attended had impacted me more than any other that I had attended in previous years during my 31 years on this planet.

Now, I don't know if that was fueled in large part to the heated debate and rhetoric in these parts leading up to that night, the fact that this was the first year that His birth weighed quite heavily on my heart and mind (due to the way He's been powerfully convicting me and working in my life over the past few months), or a combination of the two. Regardless, the point is that I was moved to tears both during and after the service and that was a first for a young guy like me.

Of course, some cynics reading this will mutter something along the lines of, "Geesh! Even more proof that Jeff is far from the Lord and what His Word teaches because he's living by feelings and not faith..." Hardly my friends. Hardly.

Anyway, the few final comments I wanted to make on this issue of Christians celebrating Christmas has to do with my thought that perhaps -- just maybe -- the difference between the two camps (Christians who want to still celebrate Christmas for no other reason than to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and use it as a chance to witness to family and friends in one camp, and Christians who don't want to celebrate Christmas because of the pagan, worldly influences who would prefer to acknowledge the Lord's Feasts instead in the other camp) is indifference.

I'll explain what I mean by that so that I don't blatantly offend anyone of my brothers or sisters, but before I do I would like to state at the outset the following borrowed from DefCon...

To summarize briefly, I’m convinced by Scripture and conscience that Christians are not obligated to observe Christmas, and that Christians are not obligated to not observe Christmas. Christmas observance, or non-observance, (just like the observance or non-observance of any other day) plainly falls into the Biblical category of a matter of indifference and liberty (Romans 14-15; Col 2:16-23).

My point in publishing this material isn’t to advocate for, or against, the observance of Christmas (or any other day), but rather to make the case that a.) such things are matters of liberty and conscience in the light of Scripture b.) many of the popular myths surrounding the origins of Christmas, even within the church, are often dubious, and sometimes misleading/false and c.) many of the most strident objections to the observance of Christmas if applied equally and consistently can have far reaching [and quite probably un-Biblical, legalistic] implications in actual practice.

I felt it necessary to review that before I continue with this thought today because I really don't want anyone to feel like I'm trying to "attack", "condemn", "degrade", or "judge" them as if to say that they're "wrong" in their decision to bypass the celebration of the Messiah's birth the other day.

As evidenced by the above excerpt, I truly believe that God's Word gives us the liberty to choose to celebrate or to not celebrate such a holiday, and if you disagree with my conclusion then that's fine, but it's really between me and the Lord.

This blog is His and even though I might share some personal experiences here with all of you it's never about me, but always for His glory, honor, and praise as well as for the edification of the Body. I don't open up to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ because I'm looking for a pat on the back. Likewise, I don't open up to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with the expectation that they'll treat me no differently than the non-believing world. No, I don't somehow enjoy being a masochist.

Again, you have every right to disagree with my assessment and conclusions on this matter. You have every right to celebrate (or not celebrate) Jesus Christ's birth as you decide. I just think that people who disagree with me are wrong to level such strong charges especially if they call themselves my brother or sister.

Sure, we can agree to disagree, and you might genuinely believe that I am in error and are simply trying to correct me so that I'm in accordance with the truth. However, as we learned from some previous Bible studies (PART 1 / PART 2) it actually is ok for us to judge other people (mainly those within the Body of Christ), but the Scriptures are clear as to how we ought to go about doing such a thing. In other words, there's a "right way" and a "wrong way" to do it.

This controversy will affect each member of the Body of Christ in a different way. It will affect each member in a different way, but the reality is that I do not have to give account to any one of you who read this, nor to friends, nor to family even. Likewise, you do not have to give any one an account of your position either.

I don't know about you, but for that I am very thankful. With the knowledge and grace that has been extended to me, I have had to make a decision for which I will only give account to the One Who loved me, the One Who died to atone for my sins, and the One Who is coming again as King of kings!

Ok, moving on. What do I mean by the comment that "the difference may be indifference" when thinking about this topic today? For the answer, we have to look at those who Christians traditionally call "Three Wise Men", or the "Three Kings", or the "Magi" as God's Word calls them.

Personally, I think that these truths from the holy Scriptures about the Magi and our Sovereign Lord's use of them in the story of the birth of Christ is beautifully emblematic of the debate that's currently raging.

Think about it! My dear brothers and sisters in Christ who disagree with my assessment often cite the "pagan influences and roots" found in the traditions of the Christmas season. They'll also cite passages like 1 Thessalonians 5:22 and say that God would not want us to mix "evil" with "righteousness" in any way, shape, or form even if we suggest that Christmas provides us with a remarkable witnessing opportunity because the'll just respond by saying the ends don't justify the means.

Really? Can someone please tell me why the Lord chose to mix evil with righteousness then when we read about the Magi travelling thousands of miles to bring glory, honor, and praise to His Son Jesus Christ?



I mean, let's not forget who these Magi were. Minister Dante Fortson had this brief write-up on them the other day that frames for us exactly who they were so that there is no confusion...

Who Were The Magi?

If you have never done a study on the Magi, you may be surprised by some of the things that I’m about to point out. For starters let’s toss out the tradition that there were only three of them. There were three types of gifts, not just three men. The Persians called them magus (magicians).

The next thing that needs to be understood is that the Romans could not conquer the Persians (Parthian Empire). The war between the two lasted from 92BC – 627AD. Herod was on pins and needles when the Magi came into town. Just imagine his position. Herod answered to Caesar, but the Persians answered to no one and they marched right into Roman territory. They were probably also traveling with a contingent of soldiers.

Now that we know a little bit about the background of the Magi, the big question is: “How did pagan magicians know where to look for Christ?” The answer may or may not surprise you, depending on how familiar you are with the Old Testament.

“Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.” – Daniel 2:48

Daniel was made “chief of the governors over all the WISE MEN of Babylon”. Why Cyrus the Persian took over, he kept Daniel in his position that was bestowed to him by Nebuchadnezzar. When we get to the NT, we find the following:

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem…” – Matthew 2:1

Now, I want to ask some challenging, but genuine and thought-provoking questions because these are the things I was led to prayerfully consider the other night as I read the Gospel accounts of Jesus' birth and young life.

Ladies and Gentlemen, how can we seriously suggest that it's flat out wrong for Christians to acknowledge and even celebrate the birth of their Lord and Savior -- especially if their hearts and minds are in the right place -- due to the appearance of "holiness sharing the stage with pure evil" when it was God who orchestrated every little detail of His Son's birth even including the presence and response of certain people alive back then (like the Magi) to it?

Furthermore, how can we say that it's somehow "an endorsement of evil" for Christians to celebrate Christmas even if their heart and mind is in the right place, when it's more demonstrative of God responding to those who were seeking Him?

For those who have been so quick to cite chapter and verse over and over again in response to the previous commentary and study without really taking a moment to seriously address any of the legitimate questions raised, how do you then reconcile this reality (God's use of the Magi in association with the story about the birth of His Son) with all the passages in which He warns us to keep our distance from things like witchcraft and from people like diviners and soothsayers?

Let's continue. Many people have cited the role of the Roman Catholic Church in establishing December 25th as a holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ. Yes, it's true. I'm not disputing that at all. I'm also not suddenly pro-RCC, pro-Catholicism, pro-Vatican, pro-Pope all of a sudden simply because I have decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus each year at Christmas. Besides, we're talking about two very distinct and separate things here so please don't try to suggest that I'm making a case for the aforementioned. The birth of Jesus Christ is recorded in the Holy Bible for us. Things like the veneration of Mary to the status of Co-Redemptrix isn't.

I wanted to bring up the Catholic connection for a specific reason though. Does anyone else find it interesting how the Sovereign Lord orchestrated things in such a way to allow for the Magi to arrive to bring glory, honor, and praise to His Son with gifts of "gold, and frankincense, and myrrh" (Matthew 2:11)?

After all, using the same arguments presented by those who suggest that Christians shouldn't celebrate Christmas in any way, shape, or form because it comes directly from the Roman Catholic Church and is therefore one of their "twisted traditions of men", I find it interesting that God allowed for the presentation of these gifts; gifts that resemble a lot of what we find used in Catholic churches and Catholic mass to this very day.

Again, to reiterate, this is not some kind of a tacit defense of Catholicism, but I'm just trying to make the point that if "guilt by association" is the charge being thrown around so casually here, then aren't those of you who have a problem with my stance also saying you have a problem with God for allowing such things -- from magicians -- in the presence of His holy, righteous, sinless Son Jesus Christ? I'm just asking because it needs to be asked.

By the way, I feel I have to point out that I am well aware of the probable prophetic symbolism attached to these gifts even despite the comments I just made. For instance, gold was a fitting gift for a king, frankincense was an incense used in temple ceremonies (Exodus 30:34), and myrrh was a spice that was often used for embalming. Perhaps God impressed these gifts on the Magi’s hearts to picture the various aspects of Christ’s ministry.

You know, there's one other item I noticed in connection with the Magi and the account of the birth of Jesus Christ. We'll look at the following passage first...

Matthew 2:1-12 (KJV) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard [these things], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, [in] the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found [him], bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

I want us to consider the response to the Messiah's birth as recorded in the Gospels for us like in the above account. Once again, the Magi play a key role here. Watch this!

To recap, God providentially arranged for the star to appear at the time of the Savior’s birth. Whatever this cosmic phenomenon was, it certainly got the attention of these Magi, and since it hung in the direction of Israel, they connected it with what they knew of the prophesied King.

Perhaps they had read the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the coming, "light to the Gentiles" (Isaiah 49:6), which the star certainly depicted. Immediately, they set off to welcome Him. Since the road was long, it took them some time to reach Jerusalem, and evidently the star did not guide them the entire way. They had to stop and ask Herod for directions, alerting him and the Pharisees to the event.

Did you notice anything strange about what we're told? To put it another way, did you notice anything strange about the people's response to what the Magi told them? They exhibited indifference to Christ's birth! Who were the "they" I'm speaking of? Of course, they were the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Although the Pharisees knew the prophecy, they were not anticipating its fulfillment as the Magi were.

Here's what was particularly fascinating to me because I never caught it before. These Magi came from the East probably something like thousands of miles (more than likely from Babylon as the students of the students of Daniel, which is why they were familiar with the Scriptures).

They knew this great leader, or this Messiah, was going to be born in Bethlehem. There had to be more than just three of them too. First of all, the Word of God never gives any specific number so this idea that there were three is absurd. If we think about this logically, then we can make an educated guess and say that men of their caliber, education, and wealth would never have traveled that far just the three of them.

I mention this for a very specific point too. Aside from the fact that these facts demonstrate to us how too many Christians don't know this story as well as they should, the point in bringing this up in the context of this piece is to communicate how the message was very clear to those alive back then (or should've been) -- the Magi had arrived in a big way and made a major statement not only with all their pomp and circumstance, but with their words as to why they had come.

They had come to find out where the King of the Jews had been born. Folks, the mere fact that they even identified Jesus as the "King of the Jews" is very significant too. You would think that with this group of people before them, having traveled as far as they had with all the wealth surrounding them, and having spoken such unprecedented words that somebody (one of the Pharisees or Sadducees) would have done a double take and said, "Now wait a minute! Why did you come? You said you came to see the 'King of the Jews'? That is amazing!" But we know that never happened.

You would think that the Pharisees and the Sadducees who were knowledgable all about these things, about God's Word, and about these prophecies would've said, "Wait a minute! You say you've come all these thousands of miles and that you've been guided by this 'star', which has led you here to Jerusalem because you're looking for the 'King of the Jews'?" Wouldn't you think that they, because they knew the Scriptures as well as they did (or claimed to let alone the way they presented themselves to others), that they would've thought all of this and recognized that it was a very significant moment in time? I mean, there was even a great sense of expectancy in those days of some "great leader" who would come upon the scene to deliver all the people from Roman control.

Naturally, we would assume that the Pharisees and the Sadducees would've said, "Wait a minute! If you're telling us that the Messiah has been born, then we need to find out about this! We need to look into this right away! Let's go!" What did they do though? What was their response? Well, it was no different from what we've seen a lot of in the Comments Section of the previous piece -- they just quoted Scripture and said "Well, this is what the Scripture says..." and were done with it. The Magi probably already knew what the Scripture said too, and didn't need it parroted back to them, having been sort of like students of the Word themselves.

My dear friends, please look at this passage again very closely because I read this and see something quite similar to what transpired within this community of believers over the past few days.

The Pharisees and the Saduccees were indifferent to the news about the birth of Jesus Christ and just went about their business. In spite of ALL THE SIGNS that something significant was going on they were completely indifferent to it and just went about their business of probably following the letter of the Law, burning their incense, offering their sacrifices, and carrying out their responsibilities.

They were doing those things thinking they were pleasing the Lord when all of a sudden there came a group that arrived unexpectedly to point out that the prophecy had been fulfilled and it had absolutely no effect on them whatsoever!

The question I must ask is this: Are some of us Christians perhaps acting like the people in Bethlehem and Jerusalem who were alive back then -- indifferent to the birth of Jesus Christ? Clearly, there are some striking parallels between then and now, are there not?

It all reminds me of something I just read in a daily devotional from The Berean that I think is definitely applicable to this discussion also...

Matthew 9:10-13 (KJV) And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard [that], he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what [that] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

In saying that He desires mercy and not sacrifice, Jesus is teaching that He prefers it when people practice mercy and not blindly follow ritual. He is not condemning the laws of sacrifice that He set up for Israel to practice until He fulfilled them, but explaining that He is more pleased with acts of forgiveness and kindness than strict external compliance to the law.

He is telling the Pharisees that, though they were exacting in keeping the letter of the law, they had completely missed its intent. In Matthew 23:23, He reminds them of this very point: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."

It is good and right to tithe to God, even to be exacting in our accounting, but not at the expense of the far more important matters of justice, mercy, and faith! These weightier matters are a Christian’s priorities, so if a question of "What do I do?" ever comes up between practicing them and keeping the strict letter of the law, our judgment should lean toward these Christian virtues. If we can do both, all the better!

Jesus Christ is the personification of mercy. Exodus 25:17-22 describes the Mercy Seat constructed in the wilderness. Essentially, it was the golden lid of the Ark of the Covenant, on which were figures of two cherubim facing each other with their wings stretched out, covering the Mercy Seat. God, the pre-incarnate Christ, says in verse 22, "And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony." The Mercy Seat represented God in His dealings with sinful humanity, and the chief element He employs is mercy.

Now notice Romans 3:23-25: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"

This passage tells us that Jesus Christ is our Mercy Seat, but the translators have hidden it. "Propitiation" (Greek hilasterios) in verse 25 is literally "place of conciliation or expiation" or "Mercy Seat." The Septuagint used hilasterios to translate the Hebrew noun kapporeth ("Mercy Seat"). This Hebrew word’s root is kapar meaning "to cover" or "to conceal." This illustrates that the nature of God is to be merciful.

The apostle Peter writes in I Peter 2:21 that we are to follow in Christ’s steps, thus as Jesus Christ is merciful, we also are to show mercy in our judgments.

John O. Reid

The bottom line? The Magi (in general) were not God-fearing, holy, righteous people, or the kind we would think of as being Christians today. They were more akin to astrologers and magicians, or those who were familiar with evil, occult, pagan, Satanic traditions let's say. They were followers of "Zoroaster", "Chaldeans" maybe, and were believed by many to have the ability to read the stars, or manipulate the fate that the stars foretold. Again, think astrology and magic, which is a perversion and counterfeit form of astronomy and the supernatural/miracles.

So, the question I have for my dear brothers and sisters who simply want to chastise me and others like me for "mixing the things of God with the things of Satan" when it comes to a Christian celebrating Christmas for the right reasons (in what they believe is a direct violation of many verses, but mainly 1 Thessalonians 5:22), is how do you reconcile that position with what God orchestrated then? According to such an interpretation (that Christians celebrating Christmas for the right reasons has no redeeming value whatsoever), God violated His own Word, right?

Yet, the Sovereign Lord used the Magi to tell the story of one of the greatest events in all of human history -- the birth and young childhood of His Son and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He decided to use them for a very specific purpose because nothing that our Lord does is meaningless or random.

So, that's why I look at this fact and see a beautiful expression of Him not succumbing to, sharing the stage with, or coexisting with evil, but of demonstrating HIS CONTROL OVER ALL THINGS and showing that Jesus Christ came in to this world for all men (Romans 5:18) in order to fulfill His ultimate plans for humanity according to His perfect timing and will.

Might we say that He used those that people wouldn't expect to be the ones delivering a profound message (like the announcement that the Messiah had been born) to those who should've known better, or those who should've been expecting (and eventually rejoicing) at the very message the "unexpected ones" (the Magi) were delivering to make a point?

The Magi knew when and where to look for the Messiah. They also received messages from God as evidenced by the dream not to return to Herod.

Ladies and Gentlemen, could that be a crystal clear example of a fulfillment of Romans 8:28 and, if so, then an example of how He might use those of us who celebrate Christmas for the right reasons? I believe it could.

At this point, I'm not sure I could add anything else that I haven't touched upon already. This will be my final post on Christmas for 2010.

One more thing in closing. In the previous post, I was adamant about the fact that the Sovereignty of the Lord is the key point to accurately understanding this whole discussion. God is sovereign and so NOTHING that has happened, is happening, or will happen ever takes Him by surprise because He is in complete and total control from beginning to end. To put it another way, He has decreed and ordained all things from eternity past.

With that in mind, it's fitting then that He used a star to get the Magi's attention and lead them to His Son Jesus Christ. Why is that fitting, you ask? Check out what we read in the very first chapter of the very first Book of the Bible (emphasis mine)...

Genesis 1:16 (KJV) And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.

God created "the stars also" and they are under His sovereign control to be used as only He sees fit to use them. Use them He did! Absolutely beautiful!

Perhaps the greatest significance of the account of the Magi is that they responded to God's call via the star that was drawing them to seek Christ. We don’t know how much they knew about Him, but we know they sought Him.

Doesn't it work that way today? We don't know what it will be that God will use in drawing men and women to Himself through repentance and belief in His Son Jesus Christ. Isn't it possible that He could use an annual holiday like Christmas in much the same way as He used the Magi and the Star of Bethlehem both as a means of getting people's attention and as a way of speaking to those who already know Him (or should know Him)? As before, I'm just asking because I think it's a valid question.

Please understand that God providentially allowed them to find that which they sought -- not as an endorsement of their astrology or magic, but because they were seeking Him!

The Pharisees, who had the truth, were unaware, apathetic, and indifferent. They were not seeking their King. Isaiah 55:6 invites us to, “Seek the Lord while He may be found.” If you are seeking Him, He will guide you to Himself just as He did the Magi.

In that sense, perhaps the annual celebration of Christmas on December 25th is a modern day version of the star that our Sovereign Lord will use to lead some of the men and women (some of the men and women that He is already drawing) closer to Him.

Isn't that possible my friends?

God bless you.

Share|

Read more »

Posted in: America In Prophecy,Apostasy,Bible Study,Great Commission,Holidays,How Close Are We?,Jewish Feasts,Lord's Feasts,Revelatory Revival,Spiritual Deception,Spiritual Growth,Witnessing

Christ, Christians, And Christmas

Ready for a long one? Gosh, I just have so much to say about this subject after researching and writing this piece for the past 7-10 days that I'm bursting at the seams over here! HA

I'll apologize in advance because I know I'm bound to start to ramble and repeat myself several times before we're through. As mentioned, I've been working on this Bible study/commentary for the last 7-10 days while also trying to battle a cold/flu/sinus condition that just won't go away. Not easy. Then again, it's never by my power alone, but by His.

Here's another "controversial" one for all of my dear brothers and sisters in Christ today. You should know that I don't mean to be "combative", "debatable", or "divisive" at all. I mean to be a "Berean" in pursuit of the truth no matter where it takes me. I can admit that I never used to be this way (although I should've been), and while I'm still learning what it means to be a Berean, and how I'm supposed to fulfill that instruction, I thank God for what He has done (what He is doing). So, needless to say, this lengthy study is as much for me as it is for any of you.

If you're anything like me, then you're interested in dialoguing with other Christian adults who are maturing in their faith knowing you'll be able to have a mature conversation about an emotionally charged topic without resorting to attitudes, comments, and tactics that are not representative of our shared faith. I'm confident that this community can preserve that same kind of environment even for a subject like this.

The "War For Christmas" has taken on an entirely different meaning this year for me. No longer is it a debate with non-believers about the importance of celebrating Christ-centered holiday each year in this country, but now it's become a debate with believers about the very same thing. The irony of ironies, isn't it?

Furthermore, the debate within myself has been brutal too! Bottom line? I'm a Christian and I'm still going to celebrate Christmas this year for some very specific reasons that I will make known to you (although I'm open to the possibility that I could be wrong in my assessment of things, which means I'm still open to foregoing the festivities next year).

Personally, I wholeheartedly believe that this ENTIRE debate exists because of two primary forces that are at odds with one another. They're the same two reasons why contemporary Christianity finds itself in the state that it's in today, and they're the same two forces we've been trying to call attention to with great urgency for the last 3-4 months now.

One is a complete ignorance and misunderstanding about what the Bible tells us about the Sovereignty of God, and the other is sheer and utter hypocrisy that is bordering on the realm of making some Christians become like Pharisees. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Originally, I was going to wait until Christmas Eve to publish this and just leave it up as the lead post on Christmas Day and the day after, but since this week is likely to be so hectic for all of us (and because this is such a critical issue and such a long post) I decided to publish it now instead and give you some time to actually digest all of its content in the coming days. Perhaps I'll break this up into two separate podcasts that I'll record so that you can participate in the discussion yourself and get to hear the tone of my voice because that always helps.

I almost wanted to write this up as our next installment in the "Apostasy?" series because as I worked my way through this material in the past week it became evident to me that that's really what this seems to be -- a possible falling away from our faith.

I guess it shouldn't be too surprising that in an "Age of Deception", where "exposing lies" and "truth-telling" is the goal, we've grown so accustomed to being suspicious of everyone and everything that some of that suspicion has been inadvertently cast upon our cherished faith.

"What!?! Gosh no!" Yes, sadly, I'm afraid that seems to be the case. I could be wrong, and you have every right to disagree we me when we're through, but it looks like we should score one point for Satan and his loyal minions. No, we definitely didn't want that to happen, but it has. I'm just surprised I almost fell for it myself. Thank God He didn't let me!

To reiterate, I must openly state at the outset that this will be a "controversial" piece. So be it. Generally, we never shy away from having the "difficult" and "uncomfortable" conversations and today will be no exception.

Those of you who think you know where I might be going with this subject might want to read carefully and slowly because you might be a little surprised (if you aren't surprised already by the stance I took about my feelings regarding Christmas at the beginning of this piece).

Some of you might even disagree with my analysis here today and think I'm wrong to conclude that this is what has actually happened to contemporary Christianity -- that the deception is believing that "we are collectively exposing the deception of Christmas", and we are doing that to the detriment of worshipping our Lord and Savior's birth.

All I ask is that you prayerfully consider what I'm about to present in full before you cast judgment. Nothing more, nothing less.


THE REASONS FOR THIS WAR OVER CHRISTMAS


Once again, I'm embarrassed by our own lack of Biblical knowledge mainly because we're self-professing Christians. I'll speak for myself when I tell you that it never ceases to amaze me how much different my understanding about things has been when compared to what the Bible actually says and teaches us.

Praise the Lord for giving me a brain that still works, for teaching me how to think critically, and for putting it on my heart to examine my entrenched positions with an open mind in obedience and in accordance with His Word...

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Acts 17:11 (KJV) These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV) All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Proverbs 12:1 (KJV) Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof [is] brutish.

Seriously, I am so thankful that He took me by the hand and led me to explore this annual, heated debate more closely than I ever had before and regardless of how uncomfortable it might make me feel when He exposed the kinds of errors that existed in my thinking about this topic.

Let's see, so I wrote a controversial commentary on Halloween about how I didn't take any part in acknowledging that Satanic high holy day, wrote a controversial collection of posts published on Thanksgiving Day that explored the history of this nation, and now I suppose it's time to say something about Christmas.

Should Bible believing Christians celebrate Christmas? If not, then why not? If so, then how should we celebrate Christmas? Furthermore, when do we celebrate Christmas? Most importantly, what does the Bible tell us? Those are the questions.

These are questions of concern for many sincere believers. In fact, many believers dislike the holiday to the point where they have refused to celebrate it at all. A number of reasons are given, and while I might agree with some of their concerns and some of the reasons offered against the observance of Christmas, it might shock you to learn that I would not necessarily agree with all of their conclusions. More on that a little later.

There is a great debate going on right now as to whether or not we should even engage in any kind of celebration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's birth. In fact, this season seems to be filled with more arguments about this than ever before. Here is the view I'm hearing, reading, and seeing a lot of this year, which I'm sure you all know so well by now...

The Origin Of Christmas And Its Traditions (Part 1)



The Origin Of Christmas And Its Traditions (Part 2)



The Origin Of Christmas And Its Traditions (Part 3)



Again, nothing really new since we're all quite familiar with what it means to apply the commands given to us in Ephesians 5:11 and Matthew 10:16.

It's tough to argue with a documentary like that, isn't it? Plus, I also saw this documentary from The History Channel on Christmas from a secular perspective that adds even more fuel to the fire...

Christmas unWrapped (Part 1)



Christmas unWrapped (Part 2)

Christmas unWrapped (Part 3)

Christmas unWrapped (Part 4)

Christmas unWrapped (Part 5)

Visit any Christian blog or website this week and you'll probably find a majority of them seeking to expose the "damnable heresies and lies" associated with Christmas. While it's great to see so many people attempting to apply Ephesians 5:11 and Matthew 10:16 like we so often do here at LUF, I've noticed that it's becoming sort of like a badge of honor, or a visible sign that you're "part of the club" of believers who are willing to wield the Word like a club to beat other believers over the head and into submission. Is that Christian-like?

Look, I'm not going to dispute any of the above information (I included it for a reason) or try to suggest that it's not factual. It is. What are some of those facts for anyone who didn't take the time to watch any of the video clips that most Christians cite when making the case AGAINST celebrating Christmas? To name just a few...

> Jesus Christ really wasn't born in December; Uncertainty about the date of His birth (September?)

> "Christmas" is "Christ's Mass", which is a direct reference to the Roman Catholic heresy of mass

> A lot of "white lies" (what most people think are "acceptable lies") connected to Christmas -- both religious and secular

> Christmas is commercialized and materialistic, and it promotes consumption

> Christmas promotes a "Works Based Theology" ("I better do good things or else Santa won't bring me anything...")

> Scripture doesn't clearly authorize it; Scripture seems to forbid it

> Contemporary Christmas traditions are rooted in paganism or come to us from the Roman Catholic Church, which we all know is an idolatrous religious system these days (i.e. Christmas means "Christ's Mass").

> The Apostles and early church fathers did not celebrate Christmas, the Puritans rejected Christmas, Charles Spurgeon was opposed to Christmas, and more recently A.W. Pink voiced his opposition to Christmas.

> I also know that it was recently reported that 98.7% of ABC, CBS, and NBC evening newscasts excluded mention of Jesus Christ during their Christmas coverage each night. In fact, it was a 2-year study that revealed "Two years of Christmas coverage on three networks produced a scant 1.3 percent of stories mentioning the deity."

Those are some of the many points traditionally raised in this discussion. For me, I've tended to focus on a few of them the past few years because they really bothered me.

"Thou shalt not covet...", right? As a father of two young children, I'm not sure how my wife and I are to instill a compassion in our children for the least of these, as Jesus would have us do, yet engage in gross self-indulgence on December 25th under the guise of celebrating the birth of the One who was poor in this life and instructed us to give up all for Him, including our very lives.

How do we do that? We can't unless we scale way back on the "self-indulgence" part. We're trying to be creative. One idea is to CUT WAY BACK on presents this year and also tell family members and friends to do the same. Another is to get them involved in charitable acts the entire month of December (and beyond) for those less fortunate to foster a spirit of giving instead of a spirit of consuming. Another idea is that once all the presents have been opened we ask Luke and Amelia to each pick out one of their new gifts that they just received that they would like to give to another little boy and girl who did not get anything for Christmas. Is that acceptable? Is that enough? Or is that akin to trying to "bribe" God?

The other notable concern I have is the lying. Think about what it's like when they (or you) open a present and it's something that doesn't interest them (you). What do we do? We tell them to show appreciation? Is that "teaching them to be grateful for all things" or is it "asking our children to be fake and to lie" because one is definitely more noble than the other.

If it's the latter, than for most Christian parents this is one of the few times we accept (and expect) lies from our children. It’s also one of the few times we feel it’s all right to lie to those same children about Santa Claus, elves, and flying reindeer. Yet, we then expect our children to believe what we tell them about The Flood, the Parting of the Red Sea, Jonah and the Whale, and a Resurrected Savior, and we’re shocked if they don’t. Revelation 21:8 warns us about what happens to liars.

Speaking of lies, I'm also convicted when I think about us "Christians" who pat themselves on the back when we give, give, give to the needy throughout the month of December, but are nowhere to be found the other 11 months of the year. Worse, what about those of us who only attend church services for Christmas and Easter? Despite what we know to be true about the decay of the church, isn't fellowship with believers and worship of our God still important to us (and what God desires from us too)?

I share all of that with you to show you that I fully understand the problems that most of you have with this holiday each year because I feel the same way. To be perfectly blunt about it, however, aside from those obvious challenges in how to handle this holiday with our kids, the problem I've had in trying to figure out where God wants me to stand on this subject is when I would try to reconcile two passages in particular.

The Bible permits us to eat food sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8:1-13), but would not permit us to partake in pagan practices and incorporate them into the Christian’s life and practice (Ephesians 5:11). Am I wrong to associate those two passages with each other and connect them to this discussion?

The other key passage for me (as for many of you probably) is the one that speaks out against the Christmas Tree is found in the Book of Jeremiah...

Jeremiah 10:3-4 (KJV) 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. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

Can't argue with that. It's pretty straight-forward as it seems to conjure up images in our minds of modern day Christmas decorating by way of the Christmas Tree. Or is it?


THE MORE I PRAY, READ, AND STUDY, THE MORE I WONDER...


To end with verse 4 would make us guilty of doing the very thing that we're always trying to speak out against -- ripping verses out of context to support our stance on an issue. Let's be like Bereans here, shall we?

Please hear me out because the very next verse, verse 5, expounds upon this for us...

Jeremiah 10:5 (KJV) 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.

Jeremiah 10:5 (NIV) Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good."

My dear friends, the Christmas Tree is definitely not in view in Jeremiah 10. Jeremiah is addressing the sin of the people who are whoring after the gods that surround them. They were taking a tree, carving it up and decorating that idol for the purpose of worshiping it. Christmas Trees would not have even been in the mind of Jeremiah for Christ Himself had not come.

If you don't want to include a Christmas Tree in your holiday celebration that's fine, but you cannot use these verses in their proper context as your reason, or to chastise your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who have a tree in their home right now. Speaking for myself, it's just a decoration and not an object of worship. How is it any different from me placing a painting on my wall, or my wife putting a candle on our coffee table? You just can't make that deduction after performing the proper exegesis here.

It was at this point that I decided to approach this topic from the unpopular angle just to see what might be revealed (if anything).

This Jeremiah 10 business is just one small reason why I personally do not believe that Christmas is as "cut-and-dry" as Halloween is let's say. After all, we're talking about the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on one hand, versus the celebration of all things Satanic on the other. Why can't we see that critical difference?

Before I run with that line of thought, here's another perspective on this issue that Joe Ortiz posted on his Facebook page the other day. It's in defense of Christians who want to celebrate Christ's birth during Christmas...

Should We Celebrate Christmas?



That video certainly gives us a good overview, and something to think about I think in counterbalance to this debate, but I want to include a few more videos for this discussion that hone in on the specifics a little bit...

The "Myths" About The Myths Of Christmas (Part 1)



The "Myths" About The Myths Of Christmas (Part 2)



Wow! That's quite the presentation. Now, it was at this point in my studies when I began to wonder if we have taken Ephesians 5:11 and Matthew 10:16 too much to heart.

What I mean to say is that I wondered why it is that we seem to know all the demonic, occult, pagan, Satanic things associated with this time of year as if we are experts on the subject (and all in the name of "exposing the darkness of deceit"), but we don't seem to possess the same kind of knowledge when it comes to the holy, religious, redeeming, and spiritual aspects associated with this time of year? Why is that? Doesn't that concern you? It concerned me enough to continuing pursuing this particular path even if it's an unpopular one these days.

"Come on Jeff! Get real! Get with it! There are no 'holy, religious, redeeming, spiritual' things about this holiday! None!" Oh really? Are you sure about that my dear friend?

For me, it was good to be reminded of the Biblical and historical significance of Kislev -- December 25th, 164. Why do we always ignore that truth, but run to the demonic, occult, pagan, and Satanic truths instead?

Like I said earlier, I'm more inclined to at least have this discussion because I don't believe it's as much of an open-and-shut-case as most people think that it is (like Halloween is, for example).

For instance, I want to go back to the Christmas Tree again. We all know from watching the videos embedded above how pagan practices (Satanic rituals actually) utilized what we would commonly call a version of a Christmas Tree as being central to their "Winter Solstice" festivals. What we might not know, however, is that the use of the Christmas Tree by Christians during this time of year also has a connection going back to Martin Luther.

I read that Martin Luther began the tradition of decorating trees to celebrate Christmas. One crisp Christmas Eve, around the year 1500, he was walking through snow-covered woods and was struck by the beauty of a group of small Evergreens. Their branches, dusted with snow, shimmered in the moonlight, and he could see a few stars in the night sky through the branches.

The experience made him marvel not only at the profound implications of Jesus Christ's birth on the night before the day when Christians celebrated it, but also forced him to marvel at God's splendid creation all around him. When he got home, he set up a little fir tree indoors, decorated it with candles that he lighted in honor of Christ's birth, all so that so he could share the story of his experience with his family.

Yes, non-believers have used a version of a traditional "Christmas Tree" in their unholy religious practices long before the time of Christ. Does that mean that Martin Luther was wrong to do what he did? Should he never have put up that tree, decorated it to recreate his experience, or told his family about what it was that caused him to praise and worship the Creator that night? I mean, the Christmas Tree itself wasn't being worshipped as an idol. It was merely being used as a prop that would help Luther tell his story that night.

Clearly, there are some positive, redeeming aspects connected to the celebration of Christmas despite the difficulties. Furthermore, allow me to provide you with a few Biblical reasons why I think WE SHOULD CELEBRATE the birth of Jesus Christ...

> THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST IS ABSOLUTELY FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR FAITH (IF HE WAS NEVER BORN, THEN WE WOULDN'T EVEN BE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION TODAY)


> THE OLD TESTAMENT CELEBRATES IT

Isaiah 7:14 (KJV) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6 (KJV) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.


> THE FIRST PAGE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CELEBRATES IT

Matthew 1:21-23 (KJV) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.


> ALL FOUR GOSPELS CELEBRATE IT (THAT IS WHY THEY WERE WRITTEN!)


> MATTHEW AND LUKE EACH DEVOTE 2 CHAPTERS TO THE EVENT


> JOHN CELEBRATES THE WORD BECOMING FLESH AND DWELLING AMONG US


> THE AUTHOR OF HEBREWS CELEBRATES IT

Hebrews 1:6 (KJV) And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.


> PAUL CELEBRATES IT AND DECLARES IT TO BE CENTRAL TO THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

Galatians 4:4-5 (KJV) But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

1 Corinthians 15:47-49 (KJV) The first man [is] of the earth, earthy: the second man [is] the Lord from heaven. As [is] the earthy, such [are] they also that are earthy: and as [is] the heavenly, such [are] they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.


> THE ANGELS CELEBRATED IT


> THE SHEPHERDS CELEBRATED IT


> THE WISE MEN CELEBRATED IT


> IT IS THE MOST CELEBRATED SINGULAR EVENT IN THE ENTIRE BIBLE

I believe that all of that is spot on. I really do.

I mean, absolutely central to our cherished and shared faith is the deity of Jesus Christ and His virgin, sinless birth into this world as a "God Man" who would be our Lord and Savior. It makes perfect sense to celebrate this fundamental truth each year because the alternative is losing the proper modicum of respect for, and losing sight of, Him and what He did for us.

Besides, don't we have enough of that in contemporary Christianity today already -- a lack of respect? Folks, this is why any Bible study connected with the "Sovereignty of God" is such a controversial issue today within the Body of Christ. We've lost the proper respect for our Lord to the point where a verse like Psalm 111:10 that says, "The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do [his commandments]: his praise endureth for ever" is being twisted to the point where the word "fear" is now being interpreted by many of you to mean "respect" or something.

What do you think though? Should Christians celebrate Christmas, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, in some fashion? You already know what I think. Still, let's press on.


MAKING A CASE FOR CHRISTIANS TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS


Yes, of course, it goes without saying that the commemoration of the birth of Christ should not be about Christmas Trees, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Cookies, "Getting Into The Christmas Spirit", Mistletoe, Runaway Materialism, Man Worship (Saint Nicholas/Santa Claus), or Wreaths.

As exhaustively mentioned, the sad reality is that many ancient pagan customs and traditions that existed long before Christianity have crept in to our worship of Jesus Christ's birth and infected it to this very day. It would behoove Christians to understand these demonic customs and their origins. No one's disputing that; certainly not me. I see far too many people celebrating worldly things, themselves, and others during this time of year rather than the One who is the reason for the season. That's a major problem folks.

I also fully admit that there’s no debating that Roman Catholic traditions and pagan practices are rife throughout the holiday of Christmas. You know how I feel about Catholicism and the attempts I've made here on LUF and through various podcasts to open people's eyes to that counterfeit religion.

But dare I say that instituting December 25th as a Christian holiday (even if it was done under false pretenses) was maybe the one good thing to come from that vile institution despite the fact that everything from the name of the holiday ("Christ Mass") to the Yule Log, for example, has more to do with false religions than with Christianity?

I'm just asking for reasons that will become fully known in a moment. Yes, Romanism and paganism is rampant in this holiday, but it doesn't have to be.

Please hear me out on this because I think there's a very significant reason why we might not want to be so quick to shun all things related to Christmas, or to attack our fellow brothers and sisters like me who do want to celebrate Christ's birth this week. May I remind you that to suggest that a person is in some way in danger of Hell fire because they esteem one holiday over another is not Biblical anyway (Romans 14:5-6).

Let me quickly hit the Rest Button here first. If I had to guess at the two most common reasons why Christians suggest that we SHOULDN'T be celebrating Christmas in any fashion, then I would surmise that these would be it...

> The birth of Jesus Christ was not celebrated in the 300+ years prior to the time when the Roman Emperor Constantine declared December 25th a holiday.

> Many pagan gods were worshipped during that time of year long before the Christian era, and it was man (the early church fathers) who made the decision to start the tradition in an attempt to appease the pagans living all around them.

That's all true. Again, I'm not disputing that at all. However, I look at those two reasons not as proof as to why we SHOULDN'T celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but why we maybe SHOULD celebrate it. Please allow me to explain as this is the heart of the matter for me.

For the past several months, we've spent a lot of time examining what it means to call God "sovereign" as the Scriptures tell it. As students of end times Bible prophecy, we recognize how there are those in numerous power structures around the world who are either wittingly or unwittingly serving Satan by their actions. Yet, we never for a single second would suggest that any of that is occurring free and separate from God's prophetic timeline for humanity. God uses us (His creation) as His human instruments much like He used human instruments as His pen to write the divinely inspired Scriptures. We might also want to think about the places where we read about God hardening the hearts of people.

So why are we ok with applying God's sovereign control to some things, but not to others? Once again, this whole controversy seems to come back to the Sovereignty of God. Because we've lost the proper understanding of our relationship to God (Psalm 111:10), we have trouble properly understanding these topics. That's my contention here.

First and foremost, why didn't Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus prior to the 4th Century? We don't know, but is an argument from silence really sufficient here? If so, then how do we reconcile that with the fact that words like "Trinity" and "Rapture" are not found anywhere in the text even though we embrace them? It's because they are clearly implied by the Word of God. So, to say that the Apostles didn't celebrate Jesus' birth because they didn't regard it as being important is foolish. Earlier, we looked at all the verses of Scripture that tell us His birth was worshipped, which I believe implies that it's ok to celebrate it in some way, shape, or form.

I submit to you that perhaps -- just perhaps -- it wasn't until they started to grasp the Lord's sovereign hand in life that the early church began to recognize that they had failed to follow His Word's lead.

But even if that's not truly the case and it was commemorated under false pretenses by the Roman Catholic Church, that doesn't change what happened, and whatever does or doesn't happen is under complete and total control of our Lord, is it not? Then why are we loosing our perspective when it comes to this issue of Christmas? Why aren't we applying the same truths across the board?

What prompts me to make such a statement? Well, I think the most compelling argument in defense of Christians who do want to celebrate Christmas each year on December 25th (aside from everything that was just presented) is THE RECOGNITION OF OUR SOVEREIGN GOD'S ORCHESTRATING THE CELEBRATION OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST IN LATE DECEMBER, AND AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE PAGAN RELIGIONS CELEBRATED THEIR FALSE GODS (I.E. SATURNALIA), AS A BEAUTIFUL COMMENTARY THAT HE WAS CHOOSING CHRIST, OVER ALL THE OTHER GODS BEING WORSHIPPED AT THE TIME, TO FULFILL HIS PLANS FOR HUMANITY. This argument is underscored (and strengthened) when you consider that He did THE VERY SAME SAME with Jesus' Resurrection, which took place at the same time that the non-believers were celebrating their other false gods during the Spring too.

I mean, it wasn't until the 12th Century, or some 800 years after December 25th was instituted as the Advent date by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century, that people began to suggest that he was heavily influenced to do so by pagan customs as opposed to the truth that it was due to the early church fathers. Again, even if you want to dispute that, we MUST NOT REMOVE THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD from this equation just like we wouldn't remove it from any of our studies having to do with these end times and the people who He's using to move us farther along the prophetic timeline today. I'm sorry, but the more I study this topic, the more I prayerfully think about it, the more I'm at peace with the whole thing.

Lastly, the fact that the early church fathers ignored the Scriptures (in the sense that they should've known that Jesus wasn't born in December) and "decided" to institute a holiday that commemorated His birth with already existing pagan customs and practices in honor of false gods shouldn't be pointed to as some kind of "proof" or "Aha! See, I told you! That's why Christians shouldn't celebrate Christmas!" kind of statement.

Why? My dear friends, isn't it obvious? GOD IS SOVEREIGN -- NOT MAN! Nothing happens -- nothing -- apart from His perfect timing, and His perfect will, to fulfill His perfect plans for humanity! Ok, so the early church fathers "decided" to set up a tradition that worshipped Jesus Christ each year that would also coincide with the worship of false gods that those all around them were following. You mean to tell me that you believe that they were able to do such a thing apart from God? If God never wanted that to happen it would never have happened.

Doesn't it make much more sense, given what we know about our Lord and His sovereignty, that He allowed such an event to take place so that the message would be clear to us? That message? "I chose Jesus Christ to be the Savior of mankind -- not Satan's false counterfeits!" (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Hebrews 2:10; Ephesians 1:5).

If we would only remember what we read in Exodus 34:14 amongst other places about God being a "jealous God", then I think it all starts to make even much more sense. It seems to have been a brilliantly and divinely executed event for Him to have set up a holiday that celebrates the birth of His Son Jesus Christ to coincide with the various holidays set up by non-believing men and women to celebrate their "saviors" when, in fact, there is only one true Savior.

Personally, this is why I'm coming down on the opposite (and probably unexpected/unpopular) side of this issue unlike my stance in regards to the celebration of Halloween let's say.

See, back in October, the impetus behind my decision to abstain from celebrating Halloween was due to how much of that holiday is antithetical to Biblical Christianity, both for the obvious reasons and the not so obvious reasons.

With Christmas, even though there are truly some things that are antithetical to Biblical Christianity, I pray that I've demonstrated that it's not such an open-and-shut case, and that there's actually more on the side that's in favor of celebrating Christmas than there is on the side that's against it. Remember, we do have freedom and liberty in Christ, do we not?

Freedom in Christ does not exclude us from our responsibilities though. I think a good line of defense is to examine ourselves regularly like we're commanded to (2 Corinthians 13:5) and see if the account recorded for us in the Gospel of Mark applies or not...

Mark 7:5-7 (KJV) Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with [their] lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.

Is a celebration of Christmas each year acceptable if we honor Jesus Christ with our hearts and not just our lips, or do these verses tell us that such a scenario is not possible given all the un-Biblical and non-Christian "trappings" associated with Christmas today?

No, it won't be easy, but I believe it should be food for thought, and something we might want to at least try to accomplish. For me, I want to at least try to celebrate His birth. I'm also not saying that my attitude toward Christmas will never change. For all I know, next year I could view things much differently. As for right now, this is the direction I'm leaning in.


HYPOCRITES? PHARISEES? PURISTS? LEGALISTS? OBEDIENT SERVANTS?


I've addressed the issue of the Sovereignty of God and how I believe it is quite relevant to this discussion, but what about that other driving force called hypocrisy? The verses from Mark 7 just a few moments ago kind of allude to the direction I want to go next.

Are those Christians who vehemently object to the views presented in this piece hypocrites, Pharisees, purists, legalists, or obedient servants? In this next segment we'll highlight a few noteworthy concerns.

The common argument is that since we are not clearly authorized by Scripture to celebrate the birth of Christ during such a season, we should have no celebrations or even special services to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. It's further argued that the Scripture does tell us to remember His death in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and we celebrate His resurrection by assembling on the first day of the week, but there is no precedent for celebrating His birth.

I'm sorry folks, but to me this just seems like what we could legitimately call "Hyper-Literalism" in the use of Scripture. Obviously, I'm pro Sola Scriptura, but such an approach completely misses the intent and purpose of His Word I think.

Hyper-Literalism (or "Letterism") is an intense devotion to the details of the Bible in such a way that one misses the essential thrust or spirit of a passage. It's believing in Sola Scriptura, but twisting and turning it on its head. Mountains are made out of mole hills and the truth is missed. One is busy counting the number of letters in a sentence rather than listening to its instruction.

Let me see if I can give you a quick example. The story of Jesus calming the storm has Matthew's account with Jesus saying, "O men of little faith"; Mark has, "Have you no faith?"; Luke has, "Where is your faith?". According to the logic instructed by Hyper-Literalism, Jesus must have calmed the storm three different times.

The point I'm trying to make is that if we applied this argument consistently (the argument that we are not supposed to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because it is not clearly instructed), then we would need to discontinue doing just about everything while also discontinuing the use of just about everything in our lives.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it might not be clearly instructed, but it is clearly implied by the text as previously mentioned.

I'd say that the number one reason often cited as to why Christians should not celebrate Christmas is that it is commercialized and materialistic. True for some, but true for all?

If we use this argument as a legitimate reason for discarding the entire celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas, it would follow that we would end up having to throw out just about...everything! Why? Because Satan and fallen, sinful man distorts, perverts, and ruins everything in life -- the Word of God, the church, relationships, worldviews, etc. Can you name one thing that Satan doesn't ruin? We don't throw things out just because the world misuses or distorts them.

In Titus 1:15 we read, "Unto the pure all things [are] pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving [is] nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." The Apostle also warns against those who see evil in almost anything and condemn it. For these people, a lot of things have the appearance of evil, but purity is first of all a matter of the mind and conscience, not merely the external.

Just because the world distorts something, that does not make it "evil" per se if we avoid the distortions and use it as God intended, or in a way that does not go contrary to God's character and holiness. A good illustration is the beauty of sexual love within the bonds of marriage.

I began this section speaking of the hypocrisy that I see running rampant in this discussion. For those who are against the celebration of Christ's birth on Christmas by other Christians, and who cite passages like 1 Thessalonians 5:22 in spite of Titus 1:15, why doesn't the same then apply to your wearing makeup, dressing a certain way, listening to certain types of music, reading certain books and magazines, watching certain movies and TV shows, and acting a certain way with family and friends?

I mean, wasn't it the Fallen Angels who taught women how to apply and wear makeup? How consistent do we want to be with all of this? See what I mean though? I'm just trying to illustrate what I believe to be an important point.

Others will try to use the following text instead...

Colossians 2:16-17 (KJV) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ.

Interestingly enough, those who forbid Christians from celebrating Christmas will almost always suggest that we should be observing the Lord's Feasts instead. Seriously?

What Colossians 2:16-17 forbids is the celebration of religious seasons or holy days -- when they have been prescribed as religious duty and necessary for holiness or spirituality.

In this passage, the Apostle is talking about the Old Testament festivals which were shadows of the person and work of Christ, but Christ has now come. To continue to celebrate them is to dishonor the fact of His coming, or to act as though He were not enough for salvation or spirituality.

Note what the Apostle says, "let no one act as your judge in regard to..." He is saying don't let anyone tell you these things are REQUIREMENTS for fellowship with God. They were only shadows of the person and work of Christ, and He has not only come and fulfilled those shadows, but He is totally sufficient.

Colossians 2:16-17 in no way forbids believers from commemorating something such as the birth of Jesus Christ if it is done out of love, devotion, and the joy the season gives when used as a way of focusing on the Lord and Savior and not as a religious duty. The issue is not the observance, but the reason, the attitudes, and the spirit in which it is done.

The point is this: If the early church could celebrate the resurrection without a specific command from God, only the spirit of legalism (or the letter of the law) would forbid the celebration of Christ's birth as a special season of joy and adoration.

Ultimately, the issue is not the season, it's the attitude and reason behind it and the distortion of it. Let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater.


SOME FINAL THOUGHTS TO PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER...


In view of what we have looked at together here today, the Holy Bible is silent from the standpoint of our Christmas traditions. However, because of our freedom in Christ under grace, we are at liberty to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The important point is that the Bible simply does not condemn the celebration of Christmas even in the traditional form and we have liberty in Christ to choose to do so.

Scripture does, however, set down principles which should most definitely affect the way we celebrate it if we choose to do so. These principles warn and protect us from the distortions we find in the world. For your prayerful consideration should you choose to celebrate Christmas this year...

> Today in many companies and offices, Christmas is celebrated with wild, drunken parties where there is no regard for the the birth of the Savior of the world. It becomes just a time of merriment and a time to tie one on. Obviously, that's a problem.

> Today people often spend lavishly on gifts and go deeply in debt and never think about the poor. They buy things they can't afford, things which nobody needs, and things sometimes the people they buy them for can't even identify. Obviously, that's a problem.

> Children get caught up with the gifts and the toys and lose sight of the Lord and Savior, or worse, never even hear about Jesus as God's gift of His Son that we might have eternal life. Obviously, that's a problem.

> Through the Christmas message, parents often fail to teach the spirit of giving as an outworking of one's relationship with God through faith in Christ, God's gift to the world. Obviously, that's a problem.

> Some may observe (or not observe) the season as they would observe Lent, as a religious holy day that must be observed to gain points with God, or to become more spiritual. Obviously, that's a problem.

Friends, it doesn't have to be like this. Even the gift aspect can be done in such a way that it is instructive, meaningful, in keeping with one's budget, and in keeping with Biblical teaching concerning Christian stewardship. What if each and every year that we celebrated Christmas we gave family and friends a Bible, or something that would encourage them to spend more time with Jesus Christ?

As we begin to wrap things up, let's try to put things in the proper perspective. We've all heard the common phrase: "Jesus is the reason for the season!" I want us to think about the gravity of that statement and let the true meaning sink in.

I once read that Don Kistler made the statement that "sin is the reason for the season" and I think he's absolutely right. Christ coming to earth as a human wasn’t for...

> Your happiness in this life
> Your self-esteem
> Your dreams and goals
> Your personal finances
> Your financial success
> Your social status
> Your gift exchange parties at Christmas

Nope, Jesus came because of your sin and mine. He was the perfect substitution for the object of God’s righteous wrath that we so justly deserve. So this holiday, remember sin is the real reason for the season.

Mark 10:45 (KJV) For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV) For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

All that being said, an online ministry calling itself the "Advent Conspiracy" had produced a pretty good 2-minute video last year on seasonal priorities...

Advent Conspiracy 2009 Promo Video



I think that's a good dose of reality for all of us as it pertains to this subject, don't you?

Please forgive me, I fear I'm starting to ramble now. I'll leave you with this thought especially if you're still inclined to fail to see any of the Biblical arguments FOR CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS that were presented here today.

What are two fundamental tenets of our cherished and shared faith? The birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ, right? I mean, without either of them (or one without the other even) we couldn't even call ourselves "Christians" and probably wouldn't because our faith would've been no different than any other that came before it. There would be no power in the person of Jesus Christ or in God Word's if either of those two scenarios were the case. It's Christ Who stands as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, and Christ who stands at the center of it all (His-story).

Now, what is the subject of Christmas? Christ's birth, right? That's an extremely important event that's recorded for us in great detail in the Gospels, right? So, in other words, it's something that God wanted us to know and remember, right? Therein lies the important point that I think many of us have been far too quick to casually dismiss and overlook (myself included).

All I'm suggesting is that we remove emotions from this fierce debate and fully examine both sides of the issue because I don't believe it's a clear-cut-case.

I just thought of something else here too. I'm sorry, but those Christians who are going to be quick to criticize Christians like me for celebrating Christmas might want to also make sure that they themselves know what is "fact" and what is "fiction" first when it comes what a majority of Christians believe to be true about the account of the birth of Christ. This will help.

Does anyone else see a bit of irony in that dichotomy too? I'll get blasted for "not knowing what God's Word says about Christmas", but those handing out such charges won't get blasted for not knowing what God's Word says about the account of our Lord and Savior's birth that is actually much different from what we envision when we think about it.

We can go even deeper with this though. I for one am very grateful for the grace that is shown to others because the Lord Jesus Christ bestows His grace upon us. Each of us are at different levels in our Christian walk. One individual might have a firm grasp on Scripture and be mature in one area, yet exercise what he or she understands or believes to be Christian liberty just as was seen by the apostle Paul in his day.

Please understand that I get the arguments that are often made -- I really do. I also understand that this raging debate within the Body of Christ isn’t just an ecumenical "Can’t-We-All-Just-Get-Along" admonition. We are called to be citizens not of the world, but of His Kingdom. Our Lord, however, has given us liberty in certain areas. Neither liberty nor refraining are to be used as clubs with which we are to beat each other about the head and shoulders. The apostle Paul certainly did not use such tactics, but went graciously to those he wrote and dealt with matters in a Christ-like manner. Why am I not seeing that when it comes to this issue though?

The celebration of Christmas falls under the category of debatable or doubtful things covered by the principles of Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 and 1 Corinthians 9. In summary, these passages teach us the following principles...

> Every believer must become convinced in his or her own mind (Romans 14:5).

> We must not judge or look upon other with contempt who do not come to the same conclusion that we do (Romans 14:3-4,13).

> Just as there is nothing evil in meat sacrificed to idols, so there is nothing inherently evil in the traditional Christmas with the tree, presents, carols, and decorations. Such things become what people make them by their attitudes and beliefs (Romans 14:22-23; 1 Corinthians 8:4-8; 10:19).

Again, the ultimate issue is our attitude, the reasons, and how if one decides to celebrate the Christmas season in some fashion.

I, for one, am very grateful for the grace that is shown to others because the Lord Jesus Christ bestows His grace upon us. Each of us are at different levels in our Christian walk. One individual might have a firm grasp on Scripture and be mature in one area, yet exercise what he or she understands or believes to be Christian liberty just as was seen by the apostle Paul in his day.

Having said that, no, it does not ever excuse our own behavior or thoughts as we strive to be more like the Lord Jesus Christ today than we were yesterday, and more like Him tomorrow than we were today.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV) Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

I have met many people lately who have chosen not to celebrate Christmas and they are my brothers and sisters, but I can also tell you that I could probably count on one hand the number of people who have shown grace to those who do choose to celebrate Christmas. Why is that? Sadly, I find this to be a damning indictment against those who "claim" to be more spiritual in some way because they refrain from any form of festivities that surround predominantly pagan traditions.

While there are many who would twist Scripture such as the use of Jeremiah 10 to justify the condemnation of "Christmas" trees, my goal has been to learn how to study to be a Berean Christian. By the way, I'm still learning. See, the issue is not the day itself for me, but whether I, and my family, can include any of all that represents what's wrong with Christmas these days and still be doing it ALL for the glory of God. We'll see.

While we'll no doubt refrain from certain aspects, does that automatically imply that we have thrown out every reference to "Christmas", or will stay away from church when they remind the congregation about the first coming of our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, or refuse to sing any songs that glorify, honor, praise, and worship Him, etc., etc., etc.? No!

The answer is simple really. My family (and yours) must make those decisions. Yes, it will affect each member in a different way, but the reality is that I do not have to give an account to any one of you who read this, nor to friends, nor to extended relatives. For that I am very thankful. With the knowledge and grace that has been extended to me, I have had to make a decision for which I will only give an account to the One Who loved me, the One Who died to atone for my sins, and the One Who is coming again in all His majesty!

The truth of the matter? Christmas is one of the few times of the year when Christianity has the full attention of the entire world. Without the birth of Jesus Christ, the Old Testament prophecies would've been a lie, there would've be no Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, there would've been no cross, no empty tomb, no forgiveness of sins so, of course, we should celebrate the birth of Christ, right?

To say otherwise is to preach the message of Satan I think. I could be wrong, but that's my take. I will add that how or when you celebrate is a different matter entirely, and completely up to the individual, and I pray that I've made myself clear on making those distinctions here.

At the end of the day, I still hold to the belief that it's more a matter of "personal preference" than anything else especially if your heart and mind are in the right place during this time of year. No, it won't be easy keeping your heart and mind in the right place with all of the distractions (temptations really), but I think it's noble to make an effort at least.

What does a genuine "effort" like that look like, you ask? Well, to me, it looks and sounds something like this...

Opera Company Of Philadelphia "Hallelujah!" Random Act Of Culture



Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus



Christmas Flash Mob In Edmonton City Centre Mall, Hallelujah Chorus



Simply beautiful! These performances were done in spite of most in the mall where the glory of God was the furthest thing from their minds, much like those on the Day of Judgment will bow their knee and proclaim Jesus as Lord in spite of living their lives where the glory of God was the furthest thing from their minds.

Those on Judgment Day will have no way to stop their compulsion to proclaim Jesus as Lord, much like those in the food court had no way to stop those who were singing praises of the BORN and risen Savior. That was a beautiful portrayal of the worship of the Lamb that was slain by His redeemed one’s that will take place in Heaven.

Folks, were these Christians "wrong" to co-mingle with the lost, non-believing, pagan world like that in an attempt to bring glory and honor to their King? Where they "wrong" to use Christmas as an opportunity to witness to a world that desperately needs to hear His name? Isn't this the opportunity that lies before each and every one of us this week? Isn't it a pattern that we can begin in a few days and carry over into the New Year? You bet it is!

John MacArthur summed up my feelings on Christmas best...

The Puritans in early America rejected Christmas celebrations altogether. They deliberately worked on December 25 to show their disdain. A law passed in England in 1644 reflected a similar Puritan influence; the law made Christmas Day an official working day. For a time in England it was literally illegal to cook plum pudding or mince pie for the holidays.

Christians today are generally not opposed to celebrating Christmas. The holiday itself is nothing, and observing it is not a question of right or wrong. As Paul wrote, “One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God” (Rom 14:5-6). Every day – including Christmas – is a celebration for us who know and love Him.

[SOURCE: "Truth For Today: A Daily Touch Of God’s Grace"]

There are many things we do that appear to have pagan origins that are not un-Biblical though. How many of you reading this celebrates your birthday each year? We give and receive gifts on those occasions. Should we refrain from that as well?

My point is that if we are not careful we can place too much emphasis on "pagan" roots of something without being perfectly clear as to why something happens or takes place. As one example on a completely different issue, I once read that Funeral Directors state that a lot of people choose cremation over burial. Some Christians will state they do not want cremation because it is pagan in origin when it's more of a preference than anything.

Even if they're right though, those same Christians who objected to cremation will choose the route of embalming the body, which was an ancient practice of the Egyptians. Embalming is just as pagan in origin as cremation by their definition!

And what of the names for the days of the week and the months of the year? Should we create our own calendar system that we go by from now on? I'm being facetious, but hopefully you can see that certain things in life are practiced of which we give very little heed to.

I believe the bottom line is that if a person wishes to have decorations, tinsel, glitter, snowflakes, a tree, presents, etc., they have the liberty to do so provided their heart and mind is right before the Lord. If the season becomes merely the means to obtaining stuff and giving stuff and fed too much, it is a sin of gluttony and covetousness. If it is a day whereby our main focus is the Perfect Gift and through the giving of gifts to our children, we use this as an example to them, I do not find a fault in Scripture that precludes us from doing so.

I'm sorry my dear friends, but part of me just wonders if this is a carefully crafted demonic deception, mixed with some truth to make it palatable of course, to get the Body of Christ to openly reject any and all kinds of worship held in honor of the birth of our King Jesus Christ, the reason we even call ourselves "Christians" in the first place, leading the Body of Christ to apostasy. Isn't that possible? I just think we should be asking that question is all.

Think about it. Who would be most pleased by someone saying, "I am NOT going to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ into this world through the womb of a virgin just as God proclaimed would happen -- never ever!" especially if that person was also a professing Christian? Who would be most pleased by such an adamant pronouncement each year?

God or Satan?

Share|

Read more »

Posted in: America In Prophecy,Apostasy,Bible Study,Documentaries,Great Commission,Holidays,Jewish Feasts,Spiritual Deception,Spiritual Growth,Witnessing