Debating the day Christ was born is useless since God never told us in His Word.
It doesn't matter when Christ was born, it only matters that God never commanded that we celebrate His birth.
What the church does now at Christmas time is a distraction from Him. They are traditions of men that have caused people to turn from Christ to the false Santa and the pagan rituals while claiming it is for God.
Mark 7:6-8 "6 But He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
7 And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”
None of the rituals observed at this time of year were commanded or endorsed by God. Just because someone decides to make up their own holiday and ritual and attach God's name to it does not mean it is for God.
Why do most people celebrate the holidays at this time of year? It brings warm fuzzy feelings that began in childhood when we all enjoyed them. Sadly it is a tradition that goes way back, so far back that most people have no idea why they do what they do. I know, been there and done it all, even raised our children on it.
Now, having repented myself of teaching these things to my children I see much more clearly how much the modern church is caught up in all kinds of rituals and observances God never gave but if we were to be honest we keep them going because of those warm fuzzy feelings we get when we do them.
If it were not about the feelings, what is so hard about giving up what God never told us to do?
Satan is always very clever, he mixes a whole lot of happy things that provoke feelings and then attaches a little out-of-context scripture with it to make it all look legitimate.
Luke 6:46
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?"
Romans 2:13
"For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous."
John 14:15
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
God does not endorse those rituals that man decided for himself because of the happy fun derived from them. He wants us to read His Word and follow His ways without adding any of our own ways to His Word.
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.".
We must ask the Lord for truth even if it means giving up anything that we were taught that did not come from the Word of God.
When I began asking for wisdom no matter what it brought my eyes began to see all the things modern Christianity hung onto so tightly that people became hostile and angry that their ways were challenged at all.
They even became angry when I didn't speak to them about my findings but observed that I didn't do those things anymore.
Just my decision for myself was enough to anger them because they only wanted endorsement through following them.
It is amazing how so many people will be angry just because we don't do what they do even if we never speak to them about it.
The Lord removed from my heart the desire to follow feelings, expunging from me anything God never commanded or endorsed so that I was free to ignore the celebrations of the world.
It occurred to me one day that the unsaved world loves these holidays, then I asked God why. They loved these holidays because they were happy fun and not from God. When the world loves something we know it will not be of God.
Why did the "Christian holidays" go so wrong with the Santas and the easter eggs and bunnies? It is because these holidays were never given by God. They were concocted by the devil to distract from God while appearing to be for Him.
It is astounding how hated believers are for not doing what the rest of the world is doing.
John 15:18-25
Disciples’ Relation to the World
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they followed My word, they will follow yours also."
I do not judge anyone as an unbeliever for observing the holidays but I do challenge my brothers and sisters in Christ to ask God to show them truth no matter where it leads or who they will lose.
If your brothers and sisters disagree with you they will love you and treat you respectfully even if you don't do what they do, even if you challenge them to ask God. They will not bludgeon you to intimidate you into endorsing what God has told you not to endorse.
I love my brothers and sisters in Christ which is the reason I warn them to seek Christ in all matters, no matter how good something makes you feel. Satan is very sly in knowing how to manipulate feelings that make someone sense that they have lost something if they give up what does not please God.
John 15:25 "25 But this has happened so that the word that is written in their Law will be fulfilled: ‘They hated Me for no reason.’
The Pharisees and religious leaders hated Christ because He was not like them, and because He upset their "religious" system, it is no different today than it was then.
May each one of us seek Christ in ALL things!!!
