Most Fundamental Christians will celebrate Christmas this year. Celebrating Christmas has been a special part of their life since they were a child. It is a festive time of year and brings joy and merriment in their hearts.
Many of these are aware of the paganism and worldliness associated with the celebration, but they aren’t really that concerned about changing the way they celebrate it…they want to pass on the same traditions to their children that they had as a child.
Some of these that cherish the Christmas holiday are in fact somewhat bothered by the paganism and worldliness that Christmas is saturated in and truly desire to celebrate the season in a pleasing fashion to the Lord, even if it means changing some of their lifelong traditions. But, how does one celebrate Christmass correctly? Is this possible? Here are some points for consideration –
Merry Christmas? Should you say “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas”? What is politically correct? Well, what is Biblically correct?! Merry Christmas? What is so merry? It’s all the music, lights, gifts, vacations, partying, etc. There is nothing “merry” about the ‘Mass of Christ’, i.e. Christ’s crucifixion and death. Merry crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ!?! Maybe it would be better to say : “May Jesus Christ bless you greatly this time of year”; “Glory to God”; “Praise the Lord that Jesus Christ was born”, etc.
Holyday? Remember, Christ-mass is considered a “holiday”; i.e. that is, “holyday”; Christmas has lots of holly, but very little ‘holy’: make sure yours is full of holy! Can one find anything ‘holy’ in ‘Christ-mass’?
The Bible says in Rv 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Let’s remove all the Catholic symbolisms and practices and see what we have left…. You might have only the Biblical account of Jesus Christ’s birth left (what?! no lights, trees, presents, tinsel, jingle bells, parties, etc.??!!). Can you celebrate Christ-mass without all of that pagantry?!
Col 2:16 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:
Do you have ‘respect’ of the ‘holyday’? It’s up to you whether you do or not. Be careful not to judge someone as an evil person if they choose to observe it…or not observe it. But, if one observes it, it should be a holy day! But, was it ever a holy day?
The verse is referring to God-sanctioned holy days for His children (the Jews).
Celebrate – Our celebrations this time of year are full of feasts, vacations, drinking, unbridled greed, materialism, and spending large quantities of money that we don’t even have! How praytell does this honor the birth of our Saviour?! What are we celebrating? Our vacation time? The presents? Or is it just what people do this time of year…celebrate to celebrate?! The only celebration of a birthday found in Scripture is that of Pharaoh’s and Herod’s, who were devout pagans.
No Christian church was ever said to have observed Christ’s birthday until about 300 A.D. (336 A.D.) Tertullian wrote in 200 a.d. – “The saturnalia, New year, midwinter festivals, and matronalia are frequented by us! Presents come and go! There are new years gifts! Games join their noise! Banquets join their din! The pagans are more faithful to their own sect…For, even if they had known them, they would not have shared the Lord’s day or Pentecost with us. For they would fear lest they would appear to be Christians. Yet, we are not apprehensive that we might appear to be pagans!” Tertullian rebuked the Christians of his era for celebrating (what would later be called) Christmas.
The Pilgrims in 1620 formally banned the holiday; they called it ‘popish’. The Puritans in 1659 set a 5 shillings fine for anyone observing it. The great Baptist Charles Spurgeon despised Christmas, and on Christmas eve 1871, boldly declared: “We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly, we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas: first, because we do not believe in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be said or sung in Latin or in English; and, secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Saviour; and, consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority.”
I wonder what Jesus Christ would say?…. WWJD?
December 25th – History shows that December 25th was kept as a sacred day thousands of years before the birth of Christ. The Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Romans etc., all celebrated December 25th as the birthday of their Sun god, which was manifested in different forms according to culture. The Sun-god was in fact proclaimed the patron of the Roman Empire on December 25, 274 A.D.! The birth of Jesus was not celebrated until the fourth century when Christianity adopted aspects of popular pagan cults, after becoming the state religion of Rome.
Was Jesus born on December 25th? There are many reasons for December 25th not being Christ’s birthday (or even close to it): 1) shepherds were not found feeding flocks by night in the open fields much past the harvestime (late September to early October), for the cold and snow was soon to come. 2) taxation time would not be then for the women and children would be taking long journeys, surely not in the depth of winter; actually, taxation time was always right after harvest, when the citizen had earned the year’s wages. 3) there was no room in the inn for it was at feast time (Tabernacles) which was always right after the harvest. 4) Christ’s warning in the Gospels was “pray that your flight be not in the winter”.
Maybe celebrate His birth more closer to when He truly was born…around late September to early October? Maybe celebrate it every day equally. Maybe celebrate any day but Dec. 25th.
Mass – The “Mass” has always been a Catholic teaching and practice; Constatine, Emperor of Rome, instituted as law the celebration of “Cristes Maesse”, Christ-Mass, in 340 AD; it was to coincide with the pagan celebration of Saturnalia, Dec. 25th, honoring their Sun god Tammuz. Maesse is a derivation of the Latin word ‘missa’, which means dismissal. When Catholics observe the blasphemous Transubstantiation of our Saviour, they dismiss all non-Catholics. So, when “we” Christians celebrate Christ-mass, we are theoretically celebrating the removal of all non-Catholics (heretics) so we Catholics can unify in observing the blasphemous transubstantiation of Christ’s body into a cracker. It is a Catholic holiday; why do we Baptists celebrate it so?! Just how Catholic do you want to be?! Our ancient Baptist forefathers were murdered in part for their refusal to observe this Catholic holyday.
Santa Claus is a morbidally obese lazy old man that is dressed in red and is always saying with glee ‘ho, ho, ho, merry Christ-mass’! The ancient Chineese developed the superstitous practice of hanging socks filled with goodies to appease the ‘hearth’ spirits. Just before Dec. 25th, they would sweep out the fireplace (hearth) and prepare it for the arrival from the heavens of their ‘fire god’, who wore all red and had a pointy hat! This fire god knew all about you and would reward or punish you as appropriate. Why do we give so much honor to the Chineese fire-god?!…. He is impersonating the real God of fire, the God of Heaven! Is he trying to exalt himself above Jesus Christ this time of year?! Is dear Santa part of the spirit of AntiChrist?!
Santa rearranged spells Satan; Claus rearranged spells Lucas (short for Lucifer).
By the way, the word ‘Santa’ is a Latin word meaning a female saint. Santa Claus seems to be supporting the LGBT movement today!
Gifts – The Saturnalia festival (the pagan holyday on Dec. 25th) was known for gift giving. Often was the custom of pagans to give gifts to their gods to appease them. Also, gifts were given at this time of year to warrant one to have luck in the coming year. Oh so much money is spent by each family on presents this time of year! So much stress, so little joy. Shouldn’t a gift be at least given to the One whose birthday we ‘supposedly’ are honoring?! You could give the gift to His body, one of His churches. Maybe spend as much on Jesus as you would on everyone else! After-all, He gave a pretty impressive gift to you already!
Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Christmas Tree – The evergreen tree placed in one’s home originally represented a special blessing on those living there for fertility, sexual potency, and eternality. Should this be an integral part of your home?! (Deut 7:25.26) The 3rd century theologian Tertullian, in response to the Christians adopting pagan festival customs in their own homes, stated: “Let those who have no Light burn their (pagan) lamps daily. Let those who face the fire of hell affix laurels to their door-posts…You are a light of the world, a tree ever green; if you have renounced the pagan temple, make not your home such a temple!” “Furthermore, you Christians (should) have no acquaintance with the festivals of the Gentiles”. The Bible tells us not to learn the ways of the Heathen:
Jer 10:2-5 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 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. 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.
The ancient heathen would cut down the evergreen tree and deck it with silver and gold and then place it into their homes during the festival of Saturnalia.
In ancient Babylonian times, the Sun god was honoured by lights and balls on trees and on homes. How do you warrant the practice today as one who honors the Son of God?!
Tertullian further states: “On your day of gladness, we (Christians) neither cover our doorposts with wreaths, nor intrude upon the day with lamps. At the call of public festivity, you consider it a proper thing to decorate your house like some new brothel. We are accused of a lower sacrilege because we do not celebrate along with you the holidays of the Caesars in a manner forbidden alike by modesty, decency, and purity”.
Our home should be a source of the gospel Light, not a pagan light. May your house display the Light of Jesus Christ this time of year!
If you truly want to please the Lord in how you celebrate ‘Christmas’, then it needs to be in agreement with Scripture and be void of error. Simply “Christianizing” ancient paganism isn’t going to work. Shouldn’t a day designated to be a celebration of the birth of the Saviour be a day honoring Him?! Shouldn’t it be a holy day indeed?! Shouldn’t it be a day that is totally devoted to the one Whose birthday is being celebrated?!
Your family Christmas traditions may be dear to you, but are often, in the most part, based on other religions and other gods. The day set apart to honor the Holy One of God has turned out to be a day to honor the pagan (Satanic) god of this world! Oh how it must grieve our dear Saviour heart when we do this!
1 Th 5:21-22 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.
But most will continue on celebrating Christmas the way they are accustomed to, and have no intention of ever
changing it.
Mk 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.