• The date, December 25th is handed down from Rome and was a celebration of the god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god.  Gift giving and celebrations filled the pagan temples.

• The infamous Christmas tree, the evergreen, was used in Germany in worship and celebration of the yule god, and to observe the resurrected sun god.  Much gift giving and celebration took place.

• The red holly was used by witches and pagans as a symbol of the menstrual blood of the goddess Diana, also known as the queen of heaven.  The holly wood was also used by witches to make wands.

• Ever wondered where the tradition of the mistletoe came from?  Would you believe the white berries were believed by pagans to be symbolic droplets of the semen of the sun god and were hung in doorways of temples and homes to invoke the powers of fertility in those who stood beneath it and kissed.  They also believed that by doing this that the spirits of the god and goddess would enter them. 

The bottom line is that Christmas is nothing more than the merging--the marriage of paganism to Christianity.  We cannot "Christianize" Christmas anymore than we can Christianize a pentagram.  Giving Christian symbolism and terms to pagan customs does nothing to make them "Christian."  The internal nature of these are still pagan and unconverted.

HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT CHRISTMAS...

I have to admit, if I could have my way, there would be no celebration of the birth of Christ as we know it today.  Instead I would continue to commemorate the sacrifice of his suffering and death which he commanded us to remember, not on a yearly basis, but as a part of life.

But here's the good news I find about Christmas...

It appears that the whole world--saint and sinner--celebrate this year together with gift giving, parties, and great feasts (this unifying of saint and sinner should make us stop and think).  It offers an excellent time to talk about "Christ" with those who may not normally talk about him.  Even as Halloween draws great multitudes of people together offering a great opportunity for sharing the gospel, so does Christmas offer a greater opportunity.

During this time of year, let us not forget the message that Christ came to give for every day of the year...the message of liberty and freedom and hope.  He came to offer...

• Great happiness to the poor, because God's kingdom will be theirs.

• Great happiness to the hungry, because one day they shall never go without food.

• Great happiness to those with great sorrow, because one day they shall have eternal laughter and peace.

• Great happiness to those who suffer at the hands of others, because one day they shall live in peace and fellowship in God's kingdom.
                                                                                              (Luke 6:21-23)

You have the eternal message that is much needed in our temporal world today.  Let us not forget that our message is not a yearly commemoration, but one that is to be proclaimed from the housetops to every creature wherever you are.  During this year's end, let us remember that God's concern is with saving people from the eternal grip of the Devil and his hell.  Wherever you are, there are people.  Wherever there are people, there is ministry.

Let us be diligent in proclaiming the good news of the gospel 365 days in whatever we do and wherever we are.

With Prayer,
Steve