|
by Elder Keith Ellis |
|
Hello Friends, I am Elder
Keith Ellis, Today we will be
starting a short 3 part series investigating the origin of Xmas and
exploring the question, is this truly a Christian holiday, and should
Christians be observing it? Where did Xmas come from? Is it taught in the
Bible, or is it rooted in Paganism? What about the Xmas tree and Santa
Clause? Do the customs of exchanging gifts, mistletoe and the holly wreath
truly belong to Christian tradition?
I will readily admit that this is a holiday that for
most of my life I took for granted. For over 25 years I never questioned the
holiday and assumed it really was a celebration of Jesus' birthday. About 20
years ago I became convicted that as a Christian, everything that I do
should line up Gods word. I was not wanting to do these things in order to
get be good enough to get to heaven, because I believe that is accomplished
thru the grace of God, according to the finished Work of Jesus Christ. I
was seeking to worship God in Spirit and in truth. To honor Him in my walk
in this life. So the more I studied Gods word it became evident that the
Xmas story as I had been taught by the world was completely absent from Gods
word. Now, if we claim to hold to the word of God as our only rule of faith
and practice, this by itself should be sufficient grounds for us to abandon
this holiday. How long will Gods people halt between two opinions? (1 Kings
18:21) Either we believe God or the world! Which is it? I will remind you that if you are the
friend of the world, you are the enemy of God. (James 4:4) Also if you love
the world the love of the father is not in you. (1 John 2:15). And need I
remind you that this holiday is embraced by the world, by people who never
darken the doorway of a Christian meeting house or ever take up the name of
Jesus to their lips. In fact I personally know Atheist who celebrate this
holiday. Even some non Christian religions celebrate Xmas in one form or
another, religions of the world which hate Christianity celebrate X-Mass.
HELLO. Alarm bells should be going off in your mind when you consider
these facts. Not only did I not find anything in the Bible
authorizing Xmas, there was much scriptural warning which actually condemns
such idolatry. What I found shocked me at first. How could God-s people not
see the obvious major lie that Xmas is? It was then that God gave me the
grace to come out and be separate. Now we feel it is part of every true
Christians responsibility to tear down these false gods and their altars,
just as they were commanded to do in old testament times. It has been, and
will continue to be an uphill battle. None the less we should cry aloud and
warn Gods people concerning this great deception. The Xmas season has
everything to do with materialism, and covetousness, which the apostle Paul
tells us is idolatry. (Col 3:5) Paul tells us further that these are the works of the
flesh, not The Spirit. (Gal 5:20) So let me ask you, just what spirit are
you getting into during the X-Mass season? We know it is not the Spirit of
God. The only other things it could be is the flesh or an evil spirit. So where did Xmas come from? A close examination of the
name itself often shocks people. Christ - Mass. We should immediately
recognize that Mass is a catholic observance. And it is true that December
25th was chosen by the Catholic Church as the time to observe
Jesus birthday (something the bible never tells us to do) In 320 AD, Pope
Julius I specified the 25th of December as the official date of the birth of
Jesus Christ. In the year 325 A.D. Consantine the Great, the first Christian
Roman Emperor introduced Xmas as an immovable feast on 25th of
December. It just so happens that the 25th of December was highly
regarded among Pagan religions. Dec. 25th is observed by Pagans
in conjunction with the Winter solstice, or Saturnalia, and the rebirth of
the sun god. It was on this day, the shortest of the year, that the sun once
again began to climb higher in the sky and the days began to become longer. The Emperor Constantine decided to establish
Christianity as the official Roman religion. In order to do this he knew he
could not expect Pagans to give up their idolatrous practices, so he simply
permitted the mingling of their practices with his new found Christian
religion. The result is Pagan practice, shrouded in Christian terminology.
Any one can easily check this out for them selves. Most Catholics historians
will honestly tell you that Xmas and other Catholic observances are rooted
in Pagan tradition. So if December 25th is not the day of Jesus
birth, then just when is it? The scripture does not tell us directly.
However we can thru some study come to a logical biblical conclusion, at
least knowing it is not on December 25th. No Christian will dispute that Jesus lived for 33 -
years. Also no one disputes that Jesus died on Passover. So if we simply
take the - years and back up 6 months from Passover, that Brings us to the
15th day of Tishri, the feast of Tabernacles. This is our
September - October time frame. One of two major reasons there was no room
in the inn when Mary was ready to deliver the Christ child was that the
feast of tabernacles of taking place. This was one of the 3 times during
year that all males were required to appear in Jerusalem, which is 5 miles
from Bethlehem. (Deut 16:13-16) Empty rooms were hard to find in the region.
The second reason, is the compulsory taxation and census where Joseph and
Mary were required to travel to Bethlehem. It is reasonable that this
taxation which was surrounding Jesus birth, which was decreed by Ceasar
Agustus, took place on the heels of the fall harvest when people actually
had money to pay their taxes, not in the midst of winter as December 25th
is. And not to forget, we are all familiar with the reasoning that the
Shepherds to whom the angels pronounced the birth of Jesus, would not have
had their flocks in the fields during winter, the cold and rainy season. Isa 7:14 says - Therefore the Lord himself shall give
you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call
his name Immanuel.- Immanuel means "God with us". The Son of God had
come to dwell with, or tabernacle on earth with His people. Consider
that Jesus is God, and He did come to tabernacle among men. Did not Our Lord
fulfill all the feast except trumpets, which is yet to come?
Now we see that December 25th is not the day
of Jesus birth, but is very strongly tied to idol worship and Pagan
festivals. For these reasons, Tabernacles makes scriptural sense as the
birth date of Jesus, and December 25th does not. I refer you to
an article in our library on our website entitled, On What day was Jesus
really born, for more scriptural information concerning Jesus birth day. There are many variations regarding all the pagan
practices held during the days surrounding Dec 25th, yet all are
rooted in paganism and are to be avoided by true Christians. If you do not
believe me, You can research it for yourself.
To even breath the name of The Son of God in connection with such an
idolatrous, rebellious, fornicating, abominable, Pagan practice is
blasphemous in my estimation. That is why I am saying Xmas and not the
other word.
Now, the Mother - Son worship which is observed during
the Xmas season is just more Paganism wrapped in Christian clothing. It is
not Mary and Jesus that are the objects of this worship, but the pagan gods
Semiramis, and Tammuz, Semiramis was both Nimrods mother and Wife and was
worshipped as the mother of god, the Queen of Heaven. The virgin Mary is
also worshipped as the Mother of god. See the imitation and deception which
is taking place using Christian terms? (see Jeremiah 44) And if we remember,
Nimrod was the one who led the rebellion against God when he began to build
the tower of Babel. He was also the founder of Babylon, the root of great
confusion among the world today. He also taught the children of men To rebel
against God and to worship the host of heaven. Tammuz was the child of
Nimrod and Semiramis. Different variations have either ,Tammuz, or Nimrod
being worshipped as Baal, the sun god, his birthday being Dec 25th.
Regardless of whom, it is Baal worship. And rest assured it is not Jesus and Mary that are
being worshipped on XMAS. It is Semiramis and Tammuz masquerading as the
baby Jesus and Mary. Remember, these are pagan practices described with
Christian terminology. Lets not be fooled any longer. One of the next staples of this Pagan holiday is the
XMAS tree. One might ask, what does a decorated tree have to do with the
birth of the Son of God. Absolutely nothing. Where does the Xmas tree
originate from? There are some variations on the exact origins, but suffice
it to say that all the stories have Pagan roots. Much earlier in human
history the evergreen tree would be associated with Nimrod, who turns out to
be the true lord of Xmas. As we just mentioned, Nimrod started the great
organized worldly apostasy from God that has dominated this world until now.
He is said to have been a mighty hunter before The Lord. Many think he was a
hunter of men's souls. This is evidenced by the multiplied billions whose
souls have been taken in the evil snare of Nimrod. Remember, Nimrod married
his own mother, whose name was Semiramis. After Nimrod's death, his so-called mother-wife,
Semiramis, propagated the evil doctrine of the survival In the 8th century several new twists are
placed on the story concerning the XMAS tree which come out of Germany. None
of them have any scriptural basis. All of them have pagan roots and have
evolved into the modern Xmas tree. Now, traditionally, a yule log was burned in the
fireplace on Xmas Eve and during the night as the log's embers died, there
appeared in the room, as if by magic, a Xmas tree surrounded by gifts. The yule log is in reality the "sun log." "Yule" means
"Wheel," a pagan symbol of the sun. Yet today professing Christians speak of
the "sacred yule-tide season"! Sacred? Or should the be Scared. I opt for
the latter. The yule log represented the sun-god Nimrod and the Xmas tree
represented himself resurrected as his own son Tammuz. Ezekiel faithfully
spoke out against the abominations of the pagan practices of the children of
Israel when he speaks of the women weeping for Tammuz. Ezekiel 8:14. And
regarding the pagan practice of the Nimrod tree, we read this is Jeremiah
10:2-4 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. This sounds just like the modern day
Xmas tree. These are the ways of the heathen gods which Gods people are not
to learn, much less practice these ways. Still think it is harmless? Where is your authority as
a Christian to engage in this pagan practice? A study of the phrase -green
tree- in the word of God is very revealing. Every such use has a negative
connotations. It is very plain that God is not pleased when the green tree
is used in religious observances. Check for yourself. OK now, what about Santa Clause. Santa has not always
appeared the way we think of him today. The first well-known gift-giver was
a true person--St. Nicholas. He lived in Myra (today we know it as Turkey)
in about 300A.D. Born an only child of a wealthy family, he was orphaned at
an early age when both parents died of the plague. He grew up in a monastery
and at the age of 17 became one of the youngest priests ever. Many stories
are told of his generosity as he gave his wealth away in the form of gifts
to those in need, especially children. Legends tell of him either dropping
bags of gold down chimneys or throwing the bags through the windows where
they landed in the stockings hung from the fireplace to dry. Some years later Nicholas became a bishop--hence Santas
bishop's hat or miter, long flowing gown, white beard and red cape. After
his death he was elevated to sainthood. Eventually the Catholic Church
incorporated St. Nicholas into their Xmas deception. We will see that Santa is not the friend of the truth
and reminds us of another who sought to ascend above the stars and be like
to most High God. Who could that be? Could it be SATAN? Today even when the baby Jesus is not allowed in the
town square during Xmas, guess who is welcomed with open arms? That-s right,
Satan Clause! Just who is this person anyway. Well someone says, Satan
(Opps, sorry I mean Santa) is harmless, he is just the personification of
giving. Really? My bible tells me that Jesus is the personification of
giving, for no greater gift has ever been given than the Son of God giving
His life for His people. If you study Satans devices real close you can see
that he is a cheap imitation of Christ. Who really knows when you are
sleeping, or knows when your awake, or knows if you have been good or bad?
(as the song goes) Satan? NO. Jesus ONLY does. You see they are giving
Satan Clause (sorry I did it again) the very attributes of Christ, this is
also blasphemous. And who is it that can REALLY be everywhere in one
night, Satan ( I give up) and his magical sled and reindeer or the
omnipresent God? The bible teaches it is God. And to top it all off, you
purposely lie to your children telling them that Santa is real. So what are
your children to think when they find out you have been lying to them about
Santa, and the Easter Bunny who they can see. Will they believe you when you
tell them about Jesus, whom they can not see? And when was ever OK to even
tell a lie? Never! You teach your children that Satan (Santa) is good and
just and will reward them with exactly what the want if they are good, but
if they are bad they will not be rewarded. Again this looks an imitation of
Gods justice, who is the only dispenser of what is good and just, or
punisher of evil. When you tell your children that they will have to ask
Satan when they want something special, are you not usurping true prayer to
God The Father, to whom we are to pray and depend on for our every need? Why
yes you are. Now what about the mistletoe custom? Among the ancient
pagans the mistletoe was used at this festival of the winter solstice
because it was considered sacred to the sun, because of its supposed
miraculous healing power. The pagan custom of kissing under the mistletoe
was an early step in the night of revelry, drunken debauchery, and
fornication - celebrating the death of the "old sun" and the birth of the
new at the winter solstice. Mistletoe, is sacred in pagan festivals and
should not be observed by those professing Christianity. Let me quote two text which I referenced in an earlier
video. Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If
any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15
and Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the
world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world
is the enemy of God. James 4:4. Following the world is tantamount to
spiritual adultery. How much clearer can God be? Again What is one of the first clues that Xmas is not
of God? The fact that the whole world celebrates it, Not just professing
Christians, but many non Christian countries and religions also jump on the
Xmas band wagon. The world loves Xmas, but hates Christ. That-s a fact. Are you a friend of the world? Do you love the things
of the world? Think about it seriously before you answer. We as Gods people
are told to; Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers
of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Rev 18:4 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify
yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly
esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. Luke 16:15. Xmas my
friends is highly esteemed among men and is therefore an abomination in the
sight of God. So you still think December 25th is Jesus birthday?
OK, why do you give gifts to everyone else? If you really did believe it was
His birthday perhaps you should have given those thousands of dollars you
wasted on people who were ungrateful recipients and given it to the church
and the cause of Christ. If it is your birthday, do you expect that people
give gifts to everyone except you? Of course not. So stop pretending it is
Jesus birthday when you give to everyone except His cause. What you are doing is a Pagan practice. So what is
behind this custom? From the Bibliotheca Sacra, volume 12, pages 153-155, we
quote: "The interchange of presents between friends is alike characteristic
of Xmass and the Saturnalia, and Must have been adopted by the Christians
from the Pagans, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows.- of course
someone will object and state the gifts given by the wise men are proof that
we are to exchange gifts. Well first of all the Wise men were not at the manger
as the world tries to tell us. The scripture says they came into the house
where the young child was. (Matt 2:11) This was probably at least 2 years
after Jesus was born. Remember when the wise men Inquired of Herod, where is
he that is born King of the Jews. (matt 2:2) Afterwards Herod asked at what
time they had seen His star in the east and then commanded all male children
2 years and under to be murdered. So the wise men were not at the manger. Secondly it was a custom in that day to bring gifts
when you came into the presence of a King. The gifts they gave were not
exchanged among one another but were given to Jesus. The benefits of these
gifts were likely used to help finance their flight into Egypt as Herod
would seek the life of the young child Jesus. Now, friends less discuss the financial aspect of this
holiday. Does anyone think it is pleasing to God when we go deep into debt
to finance the commercialized ritual? I remember buying all those gifts I
could not afford and Putting it on credit cards. It is not stretch to say
that I got in deeper each year. Many, as they enter the shopping season this
year, are still paying on credit cards for Xmas gifts they bought 4 or 5
years ago. Should I have to remind you of this text? The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower [is]
servant to the lender. Prov 22:7 It is a fact that the number one problem in
most marriages today is debt. It is also the leading cause of divorce. Need
I labor more on this? You know I speak the truth. Remember The Lord said, No man can serve two masters:
for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to
the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew
6:24) Mammon is defined thusly;
Mammon is a term that
was used to describe riches, avarice, and worldly gain in Biblical
literature. It was personified as a false god in the New Testament. The term
is often used to refer to excessive materialism or greed as a negative
influence. I remember an Xmas about 25 years ago when my 2 boys
were about 5 and 7. We had spent a good deal of money on new bicycles and
other highly advertised goodies the boys saw on TV. Well when the day
arrived, there was temporary Excitement. After about 15 minutes outside all
the children in the Apartment complex had abandoned their new expensive toys
to play with a cardboard box that a Big Screen TV came in. They spent all
day long playing in that box. This was a huge lesson for me. I hope you too
can see the point. We have created a society where our children think it is
all about what they are to get. And that facts are that they never are
satisfied and are ungrateful. Consider that the biblical method for giving is
supposed to be in secret. But I promise you, that you will certainly make
sure your name is clearly placed on any gift that you give to anyone. The
reason is because you want the glory. If you truly were giving after the
biblical pattern the person whose need you meet would never know who gave
the gift. Matt 6:4 Your giving should not be confined to one time per year.
People are hurting year round and we should be ready to give to those who
can not recompense us or give us a gift in return. And did you know that until the 1830-s it was illegal
to celebrate Xmas in the U.S.? The reason is that the founding fathers were
Christians who sought to live in a way that was pleasing to God. Check your
history books. There is more that could be brought to bear on this
subject, but let it suffice what I have already stated. Now my friend, if
you truly love the Lord and are steeped in the pagan observance of Xmas you
have some repenting to do. It will not be easy, but it is the right thing to
do. Get ready for persecution, ridicule, and scorn by the world, and even by
those that you love. You will also be labeled a Scrooge by some as well. It
is high time to awake out of sleep. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us
therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of
light. Romans 13:12. My prayer is that The God of all grace guide you and
establish you in the old path and the good way and draw you closer to Him. Be sure to visit our website at
|