Its christmess eve and I don't have to do a thing. No more superficial gatherings where people who claim to be Christians never mention Christ. They brag about their lives as though they are perfect while mocking and demeaning anyone who would dare to bring up the name of Christ or His principles.
The Lord cured me of these gatherings the day I became born again, that is when the real rejection increased as I irritated everyone with truth.
Many will celebrate this holiday that God never told us to do while neglecting the one He did give us, that is the Lord's supper. Some use this holiday to speak of Christ but most do not.
Not only were the gatherings I attended for years full of superficial Christians pretending to be Biblical, but in fact were not on most things.
Not only did they not speak of Christ, embarrassed they mocked and demeaned those who wanted to speak of Him. Shutting down anyone who dared to speak Scripture, these people acted angry and dismissive through the entire event. For years I asked the Lord to deliver me from these things.
Hallelujah!!! God's ways are not our ways and our ways do not glorify Him.
When we trust in Christ we are no longer in bondage to the ways of the culture or the expectations of others. It is Christ we seek and Him alone.
Ever since leaving the Catholic church I could no longer celebrate the paganism of the Catholic "mass" or the holiday the Catholic church concocted to entice pagans. Christ-mass was created to bring in a new holiday that the early believers never celebrated. The Catholic mass, their church service as you might think of it, re-sacrifices Christ in every service. They have made up lies to bring in false gods such as "Santa Clause", to make this false god look like God Himself.
Santa performs miracles, keeping a list of those who have been naughty and nice while rewarding everyone no matter who they are with gifts. Miraculously climbing down the chimney to get into houses he requires sacrifices of cookies and milk from those who wish to believe in him.
It really makes no sense to me to tell the lie of Santa in relation to Christ, telling a lie to introduce Christ to the truth is irrational. So, since Santa gets more attention than Christ does on a day prescribed by the Catholic church, makes a lot of sense. The Catholic church is into false gods. This wretched organization has declared Mary the "co-redemtrix" equal and even elevated with Christ
The myth of Santa has been heard so many times those who elevate him as their god refuse to believe he was never a real man, it was all lies perpetrated by the Catholic church to entice non-believers and believers alike into their trap.
In fact this festival "Christmas" was banned in the early part of this country because the believers understood where it came from. They also banned it because it was a riotous time of revelry and debauchery. Of course it would not honor God, it was never about Him.
When we mix paganism with Christianity we only get paganism.
Truth cannot be mixed with lies and the truth remain the truth. A lie mixed with the truth makes the whole thing a lie.
I am reminded of the story of the father who baked brownies to prove a point. He presented the brownies to his children telling them that there was only one thumb nail of dog poo from the yard, in the brownies, only one in the whole batch. The children were aghast and would not eat the brownies. The father wisely said mockingly; "why don't you want them there is only a little bit in the batch." The point was taken that mixing filth with good things only makes filth.
Do as you please with the holidays, its between you and God, as for me I escaped all that meaningless ritual to live a peaceful life of trusting Christ every day. I have no need of anything more man has devised to enjoy.
There is nothing more satisfying that peace with my Lord every minute of every day.
I will not be wishing anyone a "merry Christmas", but I will wish a lovely peaceful day with the Lord, on any given day.
I would hope that I will not lose friends over this, but if someone does leave then it is clear that I am not free to be me with those who believe I must do as they do and be what they like in order to be loved by them. I love my brothers and sisters who choose this holiday, but I cannot follow them.
