ARE WE TOLD TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS? IS IT A RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL? WHATS THE MEANING OF CHRIST-MAS?

By Don Stanton

This article, no doubt, will upset many traditional readers. I realise I'm entering a "sacred sanctum" here, so I'll try to tread carefully. But I'm doing what the BIBLE says: "Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22) That is what I am seeking to do. For years I have warned about the Christmas robber, Santa Claus, and the satanic five-pointed stars that are used at Christmas. But there is much more which I have discovered through a little research into the subject! So much so that I no longer celebrate Christmas. I don't say that you, my reader, must accept everything I say. But I do say to you, examine the Scriptures, and also examine the traditions, and see what agrees and what does not agree! Can I ask you to do that? And I feel I should give an explanation as to why I am not wishing you a Merry Christmas. Let me share with you

26 REASONS WHY I NO LONGER CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

1. As I examined the Christmas tradition I found a lot of commercialism, a lot of paganism, and a lot of Romanism. And as I examined the Bible I found no command, no precedent, and no authority to celebrate Christmas. The word "Christmas" is not found in the Bible. "Christmas does not mean "Birth of Christ." The word is made up of Christ + mas. It means "Christ's mass." "Mass" is derived from a Latin word meaning dismissal. "The Mass" is a religious service of the Roman Catholic Church, a performance of the sacrament of the Eucharist according to the Columbia Encyclopedia. Protestants claim they never celebrate a "mass." The word is not even in their dictionary - except for Christ-MAS

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Candles are essential to Christmas celebrations. Just look at them on your greeting cards. People say candles represent "Jesus, the Light of the World." Not so! How can a weak, flickering little candlelight represent the most powerful Light in the Universe? He is not the candle-light of the world! The candles used at Christmas are the candles that are essential to a Roman Catholic Mass. And Christ-Mas is a MASS. Many will say they don't celebrate Christmas as a mass - but candles are invariably involved somewhere in the celebration. It is done in ignorance and tradition. But there is another fact to consider: candles are very essential in witchcraft and in Black Masses held by Satanists. Christmas was not observed by the early Church. "Christmas (Christ's Mass) ... the observance is probably no older than A.D.200 and did not become widespread until the 4th century." (Columbia Encyclopedia). Knowing what it means, I cannot, in sincerity and truth, wish anyone a Happy Christ-MAS. I've wondered what other suitable greeting could be used? Maybe "Happy Christ-birth", "Happy Birthday to Jesus", or "Happy Christ-day." But I don't think you will have much success in escaping from the "Mas"! But actually In the Bible it was only heathen and wicked kings whose birthdays were celebrated. Y'shua the Messiah asked His people to remember His death, not His birth. (1 Corinthians 11:24-26) 25th December was NOT the date of our Saviour's birth. The shepherds would never be out watching sheep in the open fields in mid-Winter. There is evidence to believe the Saviour was born during the Feast of Tabernacles which falls in the seventh Biblical month, Tishri, (during September/October). 25th December was a pagan Roman holiday which was celebrated as the birthday of the sun-god. When the Roman Empire was converted to Christianity, the pagan holiday also got converted into the "birthday of Christ." I object to celebrating the birth of my Saviour on a pagan/Roman MAS day!

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10. The Wise Men came to Bethlehem to worship the new born King, not to celebrate His birth. They presented gifts to Him, as was the custom when having an audience with a King. At Christmas there is much celebration, but not much worship. In the Christmas tradition people exchange gifts, but not much is given to the King of Glory. Giving gifts is not wrong! But whose birthday is it supposed to be? If Jesus is the "birthday baby", then why not give the gifts to Him?. 11. Saint Nicolas was a bishop of Myra (in modern-day Turkey), in the 4th century. He was very popular and was regarded as a special friend of children. He became the subject of many legends, including the belief that he returns every year with gifts for good children.
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Wikipedia encyclopedia describes Father Christmas as the metamorphosis of Saint Nicolas into the commercially more interesting Santa. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas When the Dutch went to America, they carried the traditions of Saint Nicolas with them. They called him San Nicolas. This was changed later to Sankt Claus, and ultimately to Santa Claus. To maintain the Santa myth, children are deceived by a pack of lies. Parents scold children all the year for telling lies, but they themselves deceive their children at Christmas. 12. According to David Meyter, an ex-occultist and now a pastor in the USA, there is a practice in occultism of scrambling the letters of s-a-t-a-n to promote the devil. The word "santa" is a scrambled version of Satan. 13. Yule-tide is a common name for Christmas time. Websters Dictionary says Yule was a heathen festival at the winter solstice. Yule log was formerly used as the foundation for a ceremonial Christmas Eve fire. Some still practise this fire. I have just read an advertisement in a Christian publication in which a Christian school wishes everyone a Merry Christmas, and invites them to a Yuletide bon fire. The ad says, "The Christmas Father will be there to meet you." 14. Santa Claus is the so-called Father Christmas. How come? If Christmas is Jesus' birthday, how is it that His Father is not Father Christmas? To an outsider it might even seem that Santa Claus was Jesus' father! Tell me, why does that old, fat, jolly, red-clad chap always have a pure white beard? Because he masquerades and tries to impersonate Y'shua, the "Everlasting Father," and the "Ancient of Days" (Revelation 1:14: "His head and His hair were white like wool, like snow.") 15. The so-called "Star of Bethlehem" used at Christmas mostly a five-pointed star - is an occult symbol, called the pentagram. It is usually positioned on the top of the Christmas tree. It is used in witchcraft, and when inverted, it is the "star of Satan." The inverted star is often hung outside Christian homes. Satan has so skilfully put his stamp on Christmas, even in Christian homes and churches. 16. The Bible warns about decorating trees and statues with silver and gold. Thus says YHWH, Do not learn the way of the nations, and do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens although the nations are terrified by them. For the customs of the peoples are delusion; because it is wood cut from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. They decorate it with silver and with gold. They fasten it with nails and with hammers, so that it will not totter. (Jeremiah 10:2-4)

The Christmas tree had its origin right back at the tower of Babel. After the death of her husband Nimrod, the high priestess, Semiramis, claimed a full-grown evergreen tree sprang up overnight from a dead tree stump, which symbolized the dead Nimrod springing forth into new life. On each anniversary of his birth, she claimed, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts upon it. Nimrod became the sun-god whose birthday was 25th December! 17. Mistletoe, a parasitic plant with white berries, is used widely at Christmas, and it has sexual overtones. The oak tree on which the mistletoe grows, was a phallic symbol; and kissing under the mistletoe is a thinly veiled version of pagan fertility rites. The Bible commands: "You shall not bring an abomination into your house. You shall utterly detest it." (Deuteronomy 7:26) 18. The red berries and prickly green leaves of the holly bush, in preChristian times, were said to be sacred to the sun-god. And holly is one of the most prominent symbols of Christmas. 19. Christmas is always a commercial success story, and it should be glaringly obvious to anyone who has eyes to see, that it has become very much a part of Commercial Babylon. (Revelation 18) 20. Why should Christians have a big happy "birthday party" when half the world has either never heard of the Saviour's birth, or do not know the reason why He was born? There's very little real Gospel proclaimed in Christmas services. Most Christians spend more on Christmas celebrations than they do on the Gospel throughout the whole year. Millions of dollars, euros, pounds, and rupees, are spent on cards to wish each other "Merry Christ's Mas," which does little more than give a good feeling to the privileged few. How much better it would be to use the money you spend on Christmas cards for Gospel literature, and give it to people who know little about the Saviour! 21. The majority of Christmas greeting cards have pagan and Satanic symbols - stars, candles, holly, mistletoe, trees, and the impostor. 22. Many Christmas Carols are lovely, and have a lot of truth in them. But it is hard to purchase a cassette album of carols without a mixture of true and false. "Come on, ring those bells; light the Christmas tree," "Jingle bells," "Here comes Santa Claus," "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer," "We wish you a Merry Christ-Mas." The old idea of singing carols outside homes was to share the good news that a Saviour was born to bring salvation to mankind. But today it seems to be largely a gimmick to collect money for this or that project, and or otherwise to have lots of fun and nice things to eat.
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23. Mary, "the Mother of God," the Queen of Heaven" is highly venerated in the Christmas tradition. Many will say, "But we don't worship the Queen of Heaven, and we don't have Santa Claus or satanic stars, or mistletoe, or even candles in OUR church. We simply worship God for sending His Son to be the Saviour of the world." I appreciate your simplicity and sincerity. But I ask, why do make a big deal of that on 25th December? It is not His birth day! It is tradition! 24. Our Saviour is no longer a Baby. We don't come to His crib today. We don't come to One who is sitting on His mother's lap. We come to One who is ascended to the Heavens, and who is exalted at the right hand of the Majesty on high. And He is the One who is coming again soon. It is a sad fact that while nearly ALL churches celebrate the Saviour's BIRTH, and people get very excited about it, the majority of them never get excited about the RETURN of the Saviour as King of Kings. Pastors and priests are all so punctual in celebrating Christmas; but they are "left behind" when it comes to the Rapture. Tradition, rather than the Word of God, holds sway over the majority of churches. People say, "But we must have some day to celebrate the birth of the Saviour! And the whole world recognises 25th Dec!" What compels you? The Word of God? Or Tradition? 25. The Bible says, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy according to the traditions of men, rather than according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8) 26. The LORD, Yahweh El Shaddai, said to Israel: "Beware that you are not ensnared into following them (the heathen nations), after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying: How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise! You shall not behave (like them in worshipping) YHWH your God ... Be careful to do whatever I command you; you shall not add to nor take away from it." (Deuteronomy 12:30-32) And that is the important point - do what your Master has commanded, not what you feel like doing, and not what the world, or worldly-minded churches promote!

Let's get back to the Bible, and discover the truth anew! Let us examine our practices; let us examine everything carefully, and hold to that which is true, to that which is Scriptural. It's time for revival! It's time for reformation! It's time for the Truth! It is time for the Bride to make herself ready! The Bereans "... these were more noble-minded ... for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether things were so." (Acts 17:11) "And every one who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." (1 John 3:3)
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