infuse - The Truth About Christmas

Email article to a friend. The Truth About Christmas May Pay Off In the Future By Mike James Christmas is a very difficult subject to explain to friends and family who don't see things the way we do. One reason it is difficult is because Christmas appears to be such a positive celebration. Another reason is that long held traditions are difficult to change. A third difficulty may be your fear of being an outcast among your peers. I'd like to give you a few ideas of how to address this subject with people in your social circle. First of all, don't attack your friends' feelings about Christmas. You will not win many over to your view by putting down what they do. Instead, ask them questions about their Christmas celebration. Find out why they like the holiday so much. After they tell you, it is your turn to relate how your celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles is similar to the feelings your friends may have about Christmas. Next tell them the Feast is a celebration you believe God has commanded us to keep (Leviticus 23, John 7:37, Zechariah 14:16-18) unlike Christmas, which became a celebration due to the decision of men. God commanded His Holy Days to be kept. When we focus on holidays man has created, we lose sight of the significance of the days God has commanded us to keep. Another point to raise is the fact the Bible speaks about Satan deceiving the whole world (Rev. 12:9). Part of that deception includes the celebration of Christmas. Christmas is a deception because it is said to be the day of Christ's birth, but all scholars agree Christ was not born in December. God tells us not to bear false witness yet Christians call December 25th Christ's birthday even though many of them know he was not born on or around that day. Many teens and young adults are not aware of the basic facts about Christmas. For example, the actual date of December 25th was originally a celebration for the pagan sun god. All of the things we associate with Christmas like the tree, wreaths, mistletoe, lights and much more, were all used in the celebration for a pagan god. You may hear from your friends, "so what? What's the big deal?" Even if Christmas came to us from a pagan celebration, why should it matter? We don't believe in these pagan gods anymore so why not use the things they used for the pagan god. That's when you tell them God makes it very clear in the Bible He does not want His worship mixed with the worship of false gods (Deuteronomy 12:29-32 and Mark 7:7-9). The thing to remember, don't lose friendships over your beliefs. When I was in high school, a friend of mine told me the truth about Christmas. I didn't know how to react to it at that time and I continued to celebrate Christmas for a few more years. But when I began to learn the facts about Christmas on my own I remembered what my friend had told me. That helped me realize what I was learning about Christmas was true. So you may think you are not getting through to your friends, but at some point in the future the fact you told them the truth may help them see the truth later. The Facts About Christmas What God Says About It CHRISTMAS IS A PAGAN HOLIDAY God says, "Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you . . ." (Leviticus 18:30). CHRISTMAS IS A COMBINATION OF WORDS Christ and Mass. Mass means death. Is this a holiday about Christ's birth or death? CHRISTMAS IS NOT MENTIONED in the Bible nor discussed by the apostles who were instructed by Christ. THE CHRISTMAS TREE "Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen . . . .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" (Jeremiah 10:2-6).
SANTA CLAUS The origins of "Santa Claus" have nothing to do with the birthday of Jesus Christ. Everything that has come to us today about "St. Nicholas" is of a purely legendary character. It is believed he was bishop of Myra during the reign of the emperor Diocletian and was persecuted and tortured for his faith.
CHRISTMAS PRESENTS It was the custom of the day to bring a gift when in the presence of a King. In honor of the newly born King of the universe, they paid homage to Jesus as a King, by presenting Him, not each other, with gifts. THREE WISE MEN The Bible does not say how many wise men there were. There could have been twenty or even one hundred twenty. It is supposed there were three only because three categories of gifts are mentioned, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. BABY IN A MANGER When the wise men saw Jesus, he was in a house (not a manger) and he was no longer a baby, but a child (Matthew 2:9-12). FOLLOWING A STAR The shepherds visited Jesus in Bethlehem in the manger and they did not follow a star. It was after they were informed of His birth by the angel of the Lord that they "hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger" (Luke 2:16). DECEMBER 25TH A LIE When Christ was born, ". . .there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night" (Luke 2:8). Shepherds would not be tending their sheep in Judea in the month of December because it would be cold and rainy. "It was an ancient custom among Jews of those days to send out their sheep to the fields and deserts about the Passover (early spring), and bring them home at commencement of the first rain," says Adam Clarke Commentary (Vol. 5, page 370, New York ed.). YULE LOG originated from ancient pagan tree worshipers who celebrated their winter solstice in honor of their pagan gods with noise, clamor, feasting and rejoicing. Today "yuletide" is found in music and poetry meaning the "Christmas season."