Since our main focus during the Christmas season in the US has little to do with Christ, why don’t we quit kidding ourselves by calling it Christmas and call it UsMas since it’s basically all about WE anyway?
The last we, and more specifically, our kids, need is to encourage selfishness by asking them what they want for Christmas; as if to say God showers us with everything we want.
‘Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. ‘ 1 John 2:15-16 NLT
Oh yes, let’s not forget to mention the American Santa. What does he have to do with Christ? “Be good and I’ll give you what you want”; we know that none of us are ever going to be good enough to deserve God’s unmerited favor.
Study by Barna group – number 1 Christian research group: The problem facing Christianity is that they are not open to being proven wrong or learning new insights. Both clergy and laity – indifference to and acknowledge a lack of evaluation – “we have all the answers already”. John Calvin – Is it faith to understand nothing and merely submit your convictions implicitly to the Church? Satan’s job is to steal, kill and destroy the truth.
Abraham Lincoln – the best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend. – Satan therefore comes as an angel of truth.
Top Four Events in human history
- Giving of the commandments in the garden
- Giving of the commandments at Mt Sinai
- Birth of the Messiah
- Death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah
Satan is out to make us misguided on those 4 events.
Now we will focus on the birth and Resurrection of the Messiah
The birthday of Nimrod and Tammuz – the first day of the year when the sun is “reborn” (the winter solstice) – December 25th.
Constantine changed Jesus birthday to Dec 25th in the late 300’s.
The Chaldean’s called Dec 25th Jule Day, which literally means the day of the infant (talking about Tammuz, who was the “son of god” who one day would come back and save them from the world.)
Scandinavians also worshipped Odin, who was the god of intoxicating drink and ecstasy, as well as the god of death. – Baal or the son god.
Santa Claus (Nicholas-Might One, same meaning as Nimrod) – Odin was a tall, old man with a long white beard traveled around the world on a white horse that had eight legs (became reindeer).
And in virtually every version of “Klaus”, he carried along behind him a dark helper (became elves).
By the 1500’s in Holland. There he became Sinterklaas; a kind and wise old man with a white beard, white dress, red cloak, a crosier and riding the skies and roofs of the houses on his white horse, accompanied by his black Jack leaving gifts for people under his sacred tree, the fir tree.
He would visit you on his birthday (during the winter solstice in December) and give you gifts if you have been good or if you have been bad, his black Jacks would beat you.
By the 1700’s, a Dutchman emigrated to North America and brought his Sinterklaas with him. The English dialect was then “Santa Claus”.
In the 1930’s, a designer for the Coca-Cola company was trying to get people in the winter time to buy their drink. – started modern Santa Claus complete with reindeer and elves.
1600 plays – St Nick – ho ho ho – Satan
St Nicholas? – did he ever exist? or was that the name of the pagan god?
In the 1970s, the Second Vatican Council formally stated that no Roman Catholic bishop by the name of Nicholas had ever existed! Vatican II further confessed that the legends attributed to this “saint” had no Christian origin, and probably came from pagan traditions!
May 11, 1659 – “… to the great dishonor of God and offense of others: it is therefore ordered by this court and the authority thereof that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way, upon any such account as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall pay for every such offense five shilling as a fine to the county.” – from the records of the General Court, Massachusetts Bay Colony
Satan had the world worshipping another god before Christ came.
Sincere hearts do not compensate for not following the truth.
Lev 18:30 Keep my requirements, not detestable customs