|
What Does
The Bible Say About Christmas?
The Greatest Gift ------
Mercy Aiken
Origin of Christmas Customs
------ Rev. William Mark Bristow
Keeping Christ in Christmas
----- Larry Burkett
A Simple Christmas ------
Alice Chapin
Christmas Giving ---------Walter
E. Isenhour
Unholy Christmas Traditions
------ Betty Miller
The Greatest Gift
By Mercy Aiken
God is a giver, not a taker. Throughout Scripture, we
find evidence of His great generosity towards His creation. From
the beginning of time as we know it, when He called forth
Creation--when He gave existence to things that had never before
existed--we can see the true heart of God. He literally gave of
Himself to make each one of us. "The Lord God formed man
from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life, and man became a living being"
(Genesis 2:7). The very nature of God is to give, to
create, and to bless His creation. Unfortunately, many of us are
so self-absorbed and greedy for gain that we do not even have the
eyes to see the countless gifts that God has already worked into
our lives. Yet, God wants us to be givers too. He created us to be
like Him--to pour of ourselves into other people, and to
reciprocate His love for us. God created us with the power to be
able to give back to Him!
When I really stop and think
about this, it truly amazes me--that God--the sum of ALL good
things, who holds ALL power and authority, would humble Himself in
this way. He didn't make himself entirely independent of His
creation, or set Himself up as a mere casual observer of
humankind, though He certainly had the power to do so. Instead, He
allowed Himself to love us to the point where our returned love
would be a blessing to Him. Each one of us, little and
insignificant as we are, has been given the profound gift of the
ability to bring joy to the heart of God. It is extremely
humbling to me, when I stop and consider that God has thus set the
laws of His creation into motion. That the One who is Love
personified, would actually be blessed by the love that I could
offer Him. This is the greatest gift of all, and it is given to
every human being who has ever lived or will live--the ability to
give of ourselves to God and to each other. Without this gift,
life would be very empty indeed.
In the mad rush of the holiday season, the true meaning of giving
is often forgotten. What is meant to be a time of blessing and joy
becomes instead, a time of stress and depression. Recently, as I
was praying for the church and the nations of the world, a great
sorrow began to rise up inside of me. God has placed so many gifts
within His church. Each member of the Body of Christ has been
given strategic giftings and a unique place that none other can
fulfill in quite the same way. Yet, so many are not moving into
their rightful place. They are afraid to use their gifts, or they
think their gifts are insignificant. Many are secretly hurt and
angry at God because they feel they haven't been given anything
remarkable. They mistake God's anointing and talent in certain
individuals as a sign of God's approval of those people, and they
assume their "lack" is a sign that God doesn't love them as much
as He loves others...that God is somehow "prouder" of other people
than He is of them. Because of this fear and resentment, they are
crippled in taking their proper place in God's kingdom, falling
short of the gift they were created to be.
Others are busily using their gifts, and by their own efforts are
successful in the eyes of the world. Maybe they have a thriving
ministry. Maybe they are making good money. Maybe they have the
respect and admiration of those around them. This doesn't
necessarily mean, however, that their actions are a blessing to
the heart of God, or that they are even obeying what God has told
them to do. Ecclesiastes 4:4 says "And I
saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of
his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
Many are so busy creating their own kingdoms, that the kingdom of
God suffers a great lack. Their pride and busy occupations have
blocked the measure of their true worth in God's kingdom.
Who will fill these missing places in the body of Christ? Even now
as we go about our daily lives, all creation groans in
frustration, waiting for the sons of God to be revealed
(Romans 8:19-22). There is so much work to be done, and
so few who are willing to do it. John 4:35-36
says ".... I tell you, open your eyes and look at the
fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his
wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the
sower and the reaper may be glad together." God intends
both the sower and the reaper to share the same joy of the
harvest. There should be no competition among God's faithful
servants, no jostling each other for the "prime" positions, no
envy or personal ambition. If we truly love the Lord, our only
goal should be to bless Him, to serve Him, and to advance His
kingdom.
As I was praying, I saw a vision of the Lord, manifested in the
person of someone I love very much. In the vision, I saw this
person laying in bed, exhausted after a hard day's work. The Lord
said to me "What do you think she would like right now? How could
you bless her?" I could instantly see that a cup of hot tea and a
home-cooked meal would be just as much, if not more of a blessing
to her than whatever big, distant work I could conjure up to show
her my love. Immediately, I could see what God was trying to show
me. We are created like Him. If we appreciate a "small" gift given
in love more than the fanfare of a "big" gift given in
insincerity, how much more does God?
As the vision continued, I could see Jesus sitting alone by a road
with people running up and down it. They were all very busy. Some
were stopping and chatting with Him for a moment here and there,
but as I overheard their conversations, they were mostly to inform
Jesus of what they wanted from Him, or what they were going to do
for Him. One man in particular ran up to him. "Oh, Jesus, I'm so
excited," he cried. "I'm off to tell the world all about you!"
Quickly he ran off before Jesus could say anything at all. My
heart broke, as I saw Him there, sitting by Himself. Yes, He
wanted to bless those people with things beyond their wildest
imagination. Yes, He wanted them to find fulfillment in serving
Him. But what He really wanted most of all was for those people to
come and sit with Him and talk awhile...to hold His hand and look
deep into His eyes...to share their dreams and sorrows, and to
hear His joys and sorrows...to let Him simply give His love to
them. In all their mad rush to give and get, they missed the
greatest treasure of all, sitting right in front of them.
So much of what we do for God is with mixed motives for our own
personal fulfillment. We all want to have a purpose and reason for
living. We all hope that if we were to die tomorrow, we would
leave a legacy of some kind behind us. Yet for most of us, this
becomes the end to which we live. Sadly, when we make anything
other than God our reason for living, that thing will become an
idol in our lives. Even if it is a good thing, like a ministry or
a mate, it can still never fulfill us because it wasn't designed
to. It simply can't! It doesn't even have the ability to
fulfill. In fact, those idols will begin to work against us, and
cause us suffer spiritual barrenness. They will put us on a
treadmill until we become broken-hearted and exhausted trying to
keep it all alive. On the other hand, if we receive them simply as
the gifts they are and continue to love God first in our lives, we
will be given the ability to enjoy them, for this too is a gift.
Ecclesiastes. 3:13 says "That everyone may...find
satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God."
The key is simply to "seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness and all these other things will be given to you as
well" (Matthew 6:33).
When all is said and done, only those things which were done "as
unto the Lord" will count for anything. In God's eyes, there are
no "big" or "small" things done for His Kingdom. All He asks of us
is to obey Him in what He tells us to do. Let us follow through
and obey Him, whether His commands seem great or small. After all,
it is Jesus we are talking about here! The One who left
His home in glory to bleed and die a humiliating, painful death
for each one of us. The One who made himself vulnerable to us, by
giving us the ability to bless him or hurt him. As we obey Him, we
bring such joy to His heart! Then His joy, which is a strength to
the spirit of man, becomes our joy as well. God is not impressed,
nor is He blessed by the best of our works done in self. He is
only impressed by the attitude of our hearts.
As we look around the world this holiday season, let us stop and
consider Who's birthday we are celebrating. Let us not forget to
offer sincere thanks to our precious, precious Lord for His many
blessings in our lives. And let us show our thankfulness by our
actions! Let us offer the same mercy that God has given us to
those around us. Let us press deeper into the heart of God, that
we may have something to offer this world besides the same old
cycle of greed, pride and rebellion. Let us not be ashamed to
become the servant of all, showing our love for God by laying down
our rights, our plans, our time and money for the sake of others.
Let us demonstrate our love to God by giving Him the very things
we are afraid to lay down, trusting that He has the best plan for
our lives and would never use or abuse us. Let us truly fulfill
the greatest commandment, which is to "Love the Lord our
God with all our mind, soul, and strength; and to love our
neighbor as ourself" (Luke 10:27). Each of us is destined
to make a profound difference in the world. Let us not fall short
of our destinies! Let us give the greatest Christmas gift that we
have been afforded to give; one that we can give year-round--to
bless the heart of God!
If you do not know God the way you want to, you can receive the
gift of knowing Him right now. Simply pray to Him from your heart
and ask him to forgive you for your sins and turning your back on
Him. Romans 10:9, "If you confess with
your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead you shall be saved." Ask Him to
come into your life and make you a new person, born of His spirit.
You can give to Him a gift He considers more dear than anything
else in the world--yourself. In return, you will receive eternal
life with Him, which begins the moment you are born again. May God
bless each of you richly as you seek to give unto Him your all.
If you just prayed to ask God into your heart, or you would like
to know more about becoming a Christian, please visit the link on
becoming born again.
http://www.bible.com/answers/aborn.html
_________________
Mercy Aiken is staff
editor and correspondence secretary for Christ Unlimited
Ministries. She is an anointed and gifted authoress who blesses
all she comes in contact with. She is also a poet and musician and
expresses the joy of the Lord in her songs and writings. Her life
reflects the nature of the Lord in all she does. Her name is just
one of those characteristics you would experience if you met her
personally. She can be contacted at:
mercy@bible.com
Return to Table of Contents
Origin of Christmas
Customs
By Pastor William Mark
Bristow
Origin of St. Nicholas
Every year Christians ask me,
"Should I celebrate with all the traditional customs of Christmas?
They all seem so materialistic. Aren't some of these customs
really pagan?" So every year, I endeavor to bring out a few facts
from our Christian heritage. Let's start with the real shocker --
There really was a Santa Claus (however, he is not the one that
people know today). The real Santa Claus was a PREACHER!! Yes Sir!
His name was St. Nicholas and he lived and worked as the Bishop of
a little town of Myra, (now in the country of Turkey). Tradition
says he was born in Patara, a seaport, and traveled to Egypt and
Palestine as a young man. Eventually he became bishop of the
church at Myra. During the period of persecution of Christians by
Emperor Diocletian, he was imprisoned, but he was released by
Diocletian's successor, Constantine the Great.
By the 6th century his burial
shrine was well known at Myra. In 1087 his remains were moved to
Bari, Italy, which became a crowded pilgrimage center in his
honor. Devotion to him spread throughout the Christian world, and
he was chosen patron saint of Russia and Greece. Thousands of
churches throughout Europe have been named for him. His feast day
was set on December 6. He was credited with many miracles. In one
story he saved three officers from death by appearing to
Constantine in a dream. In another legend he provided bags of gold
to a poor man as dowries for his three daughters.¹ When he died on
December 6 in the year 345, he was revered for his generosity and
kindness. It became the custom to give gifts to loved ones on his
saint's day, the date of his death. Later Christians adopted St.
Nicholas for Christmas day, which commemorates the date God gave
the greatest gift of all, Christ Jesus for the redemption of the
world.
Origin of the Modern
Day Santa Claus
Santa Claus is probably a Dutch
mispronunciation of Sinter Klaus (Saint Nicholas). Kriss Kringle
is probably an English mispronunciation of the German, "Christkindlein"
(little Christ child). In 1822 Santa received a drastic makeover
through the poem penned by a pastor. Rev. Clement C. Moore felt
his church's poor offerings were going to make a very dismal
Christmas for his children. The weather was bleak and everyone
needed some cheering. Rev. Moore held down a secular job to help
meet expenses. He had been thinking of Saint Nicholas, from all
accounts a very serious and austere man in appearance. A story
began to form in Rev. Moore's mind, his children would love a good
story. What about a visit from Saint Nicholas? He looked over at
the portly German fellow who drove the sleigh on their way home
from work. A new vision of St. Nick began to take shape -- the
horse drawn sleigh ... NO! ... flying reindeer. Well, you know the
poem by its first line, 'Twas the night before Christmas... The
poem was intended for his children's ears, only, but after great
insistence it was read to his congregation. A parishioner
published the poem a few years later in a Troy, New York
newspaper. In the 1950's Coca Cola needed a spokesman for their
soda at Christmas time. Someone drew an artist's rendering of Rev.
Moore's St. Nick and Coca Cola made the jolly ol' elf famous as we
have him today.
How We Came to
Celebrate on December 25th
Another question is always
asked, "Why December 25th? We know Jesus was probably born
sometime between April and November. - after all the scripture
says that shepherds were watching their flocks in the fields?"
Recently, I was seated at a table with hosts of a major television
program. The question of the date of Christ's birth arose and I
was told in no uncertain terms that Jesus was born on the 15th of
Tishri (Sept/Oct) which is the feast of Tabernacles, or Hebrew "cukkah",
(pronounced 'sook-kaw'). Although this is a real possibility -- I
must tell you after hours of searching Matthew Henry, Halley's
Bible Dictionary, Compton's Encyclopedia, The American Book of
Days, the 12 Volume Interpreter's Bible, Holman's Bible
Dictionary, Revell Bible Dictionary and volumes on Christian Sites
on the World Wide Web, all definitely state, "we do not know when
Jesus was born, or even what year." (Although he had to be born
sometime between 4 and 8 BC due to Herod's reign and death which
is known from archaeological records.) While it is accepted that
Jesus was born in the small town of Bethlehem a few miles south of
Jerusalem, there is no certain information on the date of his
birth, not even of the year (see Jesus Christ). One reason for
this uncertainty is that the stories of his birth, recorded in the
New Testament books of Matthew and Luke, were written several
decades after the event. And for several centuries the Christian
church itself paid little attention to the celebration of Jesus'
birth. The major Christian festival was Easter, the day of his
resurrection. Only gradually, as the church developed a calendar
to commemorate the major events of the life of Christ, did it
celebrate his birth.¹
Till about the year 250-300
there was little celebration of Christ's birth, other than a
solemn memory. His death and resurrection were all important to
new Christianity. As the church spread around the world, it
encountered the Roman/European festival of the Winter Solstice.
This was a day of great festivity in the pagan world. Because
there was no knowledge about the date of Jesus' birth, a day had
to be selected. The Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Rite churches
within the Roman Catholic church chose January 6. The day was
named Epiphany, meaning "appearance," the day of Christ's
manifestation. The Western church, based at Rome, chose December
25. It is known from a notice in an ancient Roman almanac that
Christmas was celebrated on December 25 in Rome as early as AD
336.1 In about 547 A.D. St. Augustine was sent by Pope Gregory the
Great as the first official missionary to England. He followed an
edict from the Pope, "If the religious customs of the people are
not evil in origin, they should be blended into Christianity."
(This is scriptural read Acts 15:19-20). The
early church had a real problem with this all important festival
of the SUN God. The church in the Holy Land had begun to observe
January 6th at the birth of our Lord. The Austrian church observed
May 20th. Still other parts of the church observed March 25th.
In 625 A.D. central leaders of
the church decided since people were going to celebrate the
re-birth of the SUN on December 25th -- the church would really
celebrate -- the most important birth, the birth of the SON of
God. It took a little time but Christianity prevailed. Although
two customs, the Yule long, and kissing under the mistletoe still
remain from the pagan days, most every other custom we have today
comes from Christ's birthday.
Celebrating and Gift
Giving
The word "CHRISTMAS" comes from
the Old English term Cristes maesse, meaning "Christ's mass." This
was the name for the festival service of worship held on December
25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Gift giving is one of
the oldest customs associated with Christmas: it is actually older
than the holiday itself. When the date of Christmas was set to
fall in December, it was done at least in part to compete with
ancient pagan festivals that occurred about the same time. The
Romans, for example, celebrated the Saturnalia on December 17. It
was a winter feast of merrymaking and gift exchanging. And two
weeks later, on the Roman New Year January 1, houses were
decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to
children and the poor. As the Germanic tribes of Europe accepted
Christianity and began to celebrate Christmas, they also gave
gifts.¹
Should We Celebrate
With The Christmas Tree?
Much confusion has concerned the
beautiful Christmas tree. Jeremiah 10:2-4 (NRSV) "Thus
says the LORD: Do not learn the way of the nations, or be dismayed
at the signs of the heavens; for the nations are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are false: a tree from the forest
is cut down, and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan; 4
people deck it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer
and nails so that it cannot move." This scripture
certainly sounds like a description of the Christmas tree. Many
use this scripture to teach against a Christmas tree and the
customs in the celebration of Christmas. But, is that really what
the passage speaks of? Let's read on.
Jeremiah 10:5-10 (NRSV)
"Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they
cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do
not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor is it in them
to do good. 6 There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and
your name is great in might. 7 Who would not fear you, O King of
the nations? For that is your due; among all the wise ones of the
nations and in all their kingdoms there is no one like you. 8 They
are both stupid and foolish; the instruction given by idols is no
better than wood! 9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and
gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the artisan and of the hands
of the goldsmith; their clothing is blue and purple; they are all
the product of skilled workers. 10 But the LORD is the true God,
he is the living God, and an everlasting king. At his wrath the
earthquakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation."
Custom of Decorating
the Christmas Tree
Verse 5 has the key -- this is
speaking of hewing down a tree and carving an idol to be gilded or
silvered, and placed as a "god" for worship. This has nothing to
do with a Christmas tree as you and I know it. The nations around
Israel had some terrible idol "gods" whom they worshipped. The
custom of decorating a tree comes directly from the Great Reformer
Himself, Martin Luther and from a German Play about Adam and Eve
in Paradise. One Christmas eve, Martin Luther was out in the field
and the beauty of the start shining through the snow covered limbs
of the tree overwhelmed him with the beauty of God's creation. He
had to show his children. Rather than risk their health in the
snow, he cut down the tree and carried it home. Candles replaced
the stars, and thus the Christmas tree began. There was also a
very popular play in the German church about Adam and Eve. The
paradise tree was a central theme of the play. It was adorned with
fruit -- all representing the things they were allowed in the
garden. After Martin Luther's example, many families adorned a
paradise tree with fruit, or even gilded fruit (our glass balls)
as gifts to their children, and to teach them of the provision and
goodness of God who gave the best gift. Later Prince Charles
carried a tree home to Buckingham Palace where Queen Victoria
decked it for Royalty. Society news spread all over the world, and
the decorated tree immediately became the symbol of the gifts God
had given, and, the evergreen tree, the symbol of everlasting
life.
Holly
There is a legend that Holly was
originally a thorny vine, and was originally used as the cruel
crown of thorns for our Lord. The berries being originally white,
when they became stained with His blood, they turned forever red,
and the plant withdrew its vicious thorns for the spiny leaves.
The plant was probably originally called "HOLY" not Holly. Whether
true or legend only, the early French and English hung a piece
over the door of a house where Christ was celebrated. Holly, with
its prickly leaves and red berries, came into holiday use because
it reminded people of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus on the way
to his execution, the berries symbolizing droplets of blood.¹)
Lights, Food and Bells
Our burning of lights
(previously candles) is a symbol that Christ is the light of the
world.The rich foods and deserts come from the precious gifts the
Magi brought to Christ. Mincemeat pie is the real symbolic food of
Christmas. It is full of spices and fruits (and yes, if made
correctly) meat! (A luxury in the days of no refrigerators). It
was baked as a symbol of the gifts, spices, and treasures of the
Wise Men from the east. Originally churches rang (or tolled) their
bells when someone died. Churches in medieval times tolled their
bells to tell the devil his time was short, because Jesus was
born.
Christmas Carols
Christmas Carols bear a
remarkable origin. In 1223 St. Francis of Assisi decided the
regular celebration of Christ's Mass was in a rut. So, he had an
entire manger scene built in his church in Italy, replete with
hay, actors, and animals. He thought the singing was also in a
rut. So he took a couple of secular, pagan, songs and wrote words
telling the story of the birth of Christ. The church elders said
he was crazy. The people said he was a saint. The most loved hymn
of all time has an interesting history, and, of course, is a
Christmas carol. On Christmas Eve 1818, Joseph Mohr, assistant
pastor of the church of Saint Nicholas asked the organist Franz
Gruber to put music to a poem he had written for the midnight
celebration of mass. Franz went to the organ and found that rats
had eaten holes in the bellows. Thinking quickly, he took out his
guitar and played the only song he knew well on the guitar -- an
old bar song -- a beer-drinking pub song! The poem fit perfectly
(and surely everyone would know the music?!) Silent Night.
Holy Night. All is calm. All is bright. Roun' yon virgin mother
and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly
peace. Sleep in heavenly. Silent Night, holy night. Son of God,
love's pure light. Radiant beams from thy holy face. With the dawn
of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth. Jesus Lord at thy
birth. (These are verses 1 & 3. Verses 2 & 4 were added later
and are anonymous.)
Over the years, the very pious and religious have sought to stamp
out festivities. Old laws can be found which forbid any
celebration in 1644 in England, and several in the early years of
the American Colonies -- but the truth is, we have something to
celebrate! God gave His son for our redemption. Mary celebrated,
"My soul doth magnify the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoiced
in God my Savior ... For He that is mighty hath done to me great
things and holy is His name. (Luke 1:46-47)." The
shepherds celebrated, the angels celebrated, the "Wise Men"
celebrated and gave gifts. You can still hear His name in
department stores. You still see His image in manger scenes. You
still find people who desperately need to know the truth of this
Jesus -- This Savior. Get out the lights, the food, the gifts.
Show your love. God did, He gave us Jesus, His greatest gift! Yes,
you can celebrate Christmas and let others know about Jesus!
Footnote:
¹Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia Copyright 1994, 1995, 1996,
1997
(All information of dates and historical events are taken from the
Encyclopedia Americana and The American Book of Days.)
________________
William Mark Bristow and his
wife, Lisa pastor a church in Monahans, Texas called Grace
Fellowship. He is an anointed servant of God who is blessed with
the Gifts of the Holy Spirit operating in his ministry. He is also
multi-talented in a music ministry of leading in praise and
worship vocally as well as on the organ and piano. Pastor Bristow
can be contacted via email at:
grace@ultravision.net
Return to Table of Contents
Keeping Christ in
Christmas
by Larry Burkett
It irritates me when I see Christ being taken
out of Christmas. That is not limited to only non-Christians--even
Christians have adjusted to the commercialism of the holiday
season. Obviously, not all of it is bad--in fact the holiday
season provides the opportunity for families to reunite and also
provides a pleasant break from our routines. I personally look
forward to these days as an opportunity to visit with friends who
are much too busy at other times in the year to just stop and
relax.
But we have become terribly imbalanced. We
give a myriad of useless gifts at Christmas because it's expected
of us and we feel guilty if we don't. The commercialized world now
makes a $100.00 toy seem perfectly normal. It's easy to observe
the stress that our imbalanced society places on family members.
Christian parents who cannot provide the latest indulgences to
their children are often depressed and distraught. Obviously, no
one purposely makes them feel unworthy or insignificant, but the
overwhelming emphasis we place on giving at Christmas certainly
does.
So great is this social pressure that the
closer we get toward Christmas Day, the more depressed and
unworthy those who can't indulge feel. Unfortunately the pressures
don't end once Christmas is past either. Those who can't afford to
compete in their gift-giving often dread congregating with their
friends immediately after the holidays, because at "show and tell"
time they don't have much to show. It is not a conscious act on
the part of most people to openly display their pride. Rather,
because we are in a competitive society we often determine a
person's worth by his ability to buy things. "For you have
died and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3).
BALANCE
One extreme is not balanced by going to the
opposite extreme. The distortion of Christmas won't be corrected
by eliminating all gift-giving and observing Christmas as a
"religious" holiday. The fact is, we do live in this world,
and our families are greatly influenced by others. What we
need to do is swing back toward the middle and eliminate the need
to compete with others. Then we will have the freedom to develop
God's plan for our families without the pressure from the
commercial world.
In order to do so, I believe that as
Christians, we must first believe that God's plan is different
from the world's, and is more--not less--fulfilling.
It is a deception to think that by adopting a more disciplined
lifestyle we are somehow denied the "good life." It's like saying
that by avoiding drugs, we deny our children the euphoria that
would make them feel "good." But to decide that any and all drugs
are evil and absolutely refuse to use them makes for a painful
experience if you have to have a broken leg set. The key, as
always in God's plan, is balance. That always comes from following
God's wisdom.
SHIFT OF ATTITUDES
Gift-giving at Christmas is a relatively new
idea. Until a couple of centuries ago, Christmas was reserved as a
religious holiday on a noncommercial basis. Many of our
forefathers would have believed that trading presents on the day
set aside to observe Christ's birthday was near blasphemy.
However, gift giving became a generally accepted practice and was
used primarily to show appreciation to loved ones. Gifts were
usually simple, regardless of the means of the giver so as to not
embarrass those who couldn't afford to give very much. For a long
while in most countries, gifts were exchanged on New Year's Day
(not a bad idea today--think of the great buys you could get!).
Christmas gifts were limited to food for the poor or special gifts
to pastors and missionaries.
As with most things that start out right,
somewhere along the way the direction shifted. By the early
twentieth century, families were exchanging simple gifts, usually
handmade, on Christmas Day. Certainly there was really nothing
wrong with that, except that under the growing influence of
secularism it was a golden opportunity for Satan to divert our
attention from Christ to Santa Claus. By post-World War II, Santa
was the dominate figure at Christmas and December was the calendar
month for retail sales of all kinds.
How did it happen? It would seem apparent
that Christians aren't as wise in the things of the Lord as
non-Christians are in the things of the world. The secular world
is always looking for ways to shift attention from God to material
things, and we're naive enough to go along. By the time we realize
that our whole direction has been diverted, as it has been at
Christmas, we believe it's too late to change, so we give up.
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and
the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from
the Father, but is from the world" (1 John 2:16).
WHAT TO DO?
By anyone's standard, the way Christmas is
celebrated today is a gross commercialism of the most important
birth in history. But we don't need to preach to the unsaved world
to put Christ back into Christmas. They shouldn't; we should. One
thing I learned a long time ago in counseling is not to try to
overcorrect too quickly. Not only are past habits, such as
overindulging at Christmas, difficult to change, but quite often
others around us don't see things just the way we do. If you
attempt to stamp out all Christmas gifts suddenly, you'll end up
with a revolt on your hands. The correct way to is make some
positive steps to establish a better balance.
Step 1: Stamp out
Santa Claus. Christian parents should let their
children know that Santa is a fraud. Santa's harmless you say?
Not so, when parents knowingly deceive their children about an
apparently omnipotent being who travels the world in the wink of
an eye and disburses presents on the basis of good or bad. It
may be a small matter, but it is a place to start.
Step 2: Husband
and wife should pray together and agree on a reasonable amount
of gift-giving. Once you have reached a decision
that you feel is God's plan for your family, don't get caught by
Satan's condemnation as Christmas approaches. The pressure to
buy when everybody else is buying will be difficult to resist
unless you absolutely agree. And again, I repeat, don't
overcorrect. Develop a balanced attitude that will accomplish
your goals over the next few years.
One method that has proved successful to many
families is to commit an equal amount spent on gifts to feeding
the truly needy. In many areas of the world, an amount equal to
most of our gift purchases would feed and clothe a family for
several months. By giving to a specific family through a Christian
organization, your children can see the purpose and value of your
sacrifice and theirs. "And whoever in the name of a
disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold
water to drink, truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward"
(Matthew 10:42).
Step 3: Stamp out
credit. As bad as commercialized Christmas is,
commercialized Christmas on credit cards is even worse. Many
families literally indenture themselves to creditors for a whole
year just to buy some useless junk at Christmas. As Christians,
we need to decide if we really serve the God of the
universe. If so, then He knows our needs and will meet them
through His people without indebtedness.
I know that some of the people reading this
have desperate needs. I also know that others sincerely want to
help but don't know who has needs. The use of credit allows those
who have needs to temporarily buffer themselves from God's real
source. "As it is written, 'He who gathered much did not
have too much and he who gathered little had no lack'" (2
Corinthians 8:15). I believe Satan has used credit cards
to cheat God's people out of blessings and to keep them in
bondage.
WHY BOTHER?
With all the other important issues to deal
with, such as crime, abortion, and drugs, a logical question would
be, "Why bother with such a minor issue as gifts at Christmas?"
Because gift-giving is one area totally under our control, and
like the Easter bunny, it is leaven that Satan sprinkles in the
church. The practice of giving gifts is not the problem,
just as the use of credit is not the problem. It is the misuse of
these things that entangles us and diverts attention from Jesus
Christ to material things.
We have enlisted in God's army and now we
can't identify the real enemy. "No soldier in active
service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that
he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier" (2 Timothy
2:4).
Our problem is that we keep trying to
negotiate a compromise with an enemy who is totally dedicated to
destroying us. It's time that, as Christians, we decide to draw a
battle line again. When it comes to commercializing Christ's birth
or resurrection, we need to establish a balance.
Instruct those who are rich in this
present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the
uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all
things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17).
________________
This material was
taken from the book "Using Your Money Wisely" by Larry Burkett.
Published by Moody Press, a division of the Moody Bible Institute
of Chicago, IL. Used with Permission.
Larry
Burkett's Money Matters NewsletterWeb Site (Business and Money
Matters)
The book, Using Your
Money Wisely, is available in paperback priced at $10.99 in
our CHAPEL BOOKSTORE (Click here
to order).
Return to
Table of Contents
A Simple Christmas
Hundreds of ways
to bring Christ and joy back into Christmas in the spirit of
More-with-Less
By Alice Chapin
Are you
yearning for a Christmas filled with celebrations that actually
mean something? Are you tired of the tinsel and credit card debt;
the depression and exhaustion that this holiday now means to so
many people? Do you want to establish family traditions that will
teach your children to honor Christ during the holidays and give
them beautiful memories for the future? If so, this book will be
an inspiration to you.
A
Simple Christmas will take you through the holiday season,
offering hundreds of creative and meaningful activities that you
can do as a family (and with friends) all during the month of
December and into New Year's. The 250 pages in this book are
literally bursting at the seams with heart-warming ideas. The
books offers suggestions for:
- Keeping the spiritual
heart of the holidays, with peace and joy.
- Lead your whole family
is doing things together.
- Find happiness in
reaching out to others and giving yourself away.
- Cope with pressures and
extra expenditures.
- Overcome the blues and
even enjoy spending the holiday alone.
- Deal with selfish or
excited youngsters.
- Reshape customs to
focus more on the Christ of Christmas.
As I
read through this book, I found myself becoming more thoughtful
about life in general and inspired to reclaim, not only Christmas,
but many other areas in my life that have been too easily dictated
by the self-dominated society. Perhaps the chapter that touched me
most of all was "Goodwill and Peace to All." Christmas is about
giving and receiving--and most of all to honor the One who has
freely given us every good and perfect gift. May we bring joy to
Him this season, as we remember those who are less fortunate than
ourselves. As we all know, but so easily forget, Christmas is not
about the obligatory gifts hastily ripped open and often never
used. It is about giving of our time, sharing of our memories and
skills, and teaching others to do the same.
The
spirit of Christmas is a lifestyle, not something that can be
simply turned on during the holiday season. Even so, at Christmas
I think we all yearn a little more to express God's love in
meaningful ways to the world around us, and exalt the truth of
Jesus Christ to those who do not yet know Him. A Simple
Christmas brings these foundational truths of Christianity to
the forefront of our hearts and shows us practical things we can
do, not only to make the holiday more meaningful, but also the
rest of our lives as well. The book is not only spiritually
uplifting, but also practical. It comes equipped with a budget
guide, and Christmas goals worksheet for you to use as a planning
tool. It will help simplify your Christmas and place the focus on
the real meaning of Christmas.
.......Book review by Mercy Aiken
Alice Chapin is the author
of many articles and thirteen books, all written to fulfill her
life's goal of helping others. The titles of some of the books she
has written are 400 Creative Ways to Say I Love You, Gifts of
Love, Reaching Back, 365 Bible Promises for Busy People, 365 Bible
Promises for Hurting People, 365 Bible Promises for People Who
Worry a Lot or a Little. Alice Chapin is a pastor's wife and
has been on the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ International
for twenty years. She and her husband, Norman, live in Newnan ,
Georgia, and have four grown daughters. She attends Central
Baptist Church in Newnan.
The book, A Simple Christmas,
is available in paperback priced at $14.00 in our
CHAPEL BOOKSTORE (Click here to
order)
Return to Table of Contents
Christmas Giving
By Walter E. Isenhour
As you think of giving
presents
To your friends on Christmas Day,
Don’t forget the poor and needy
That you meet along life’s way.
Give them something that is helpful,
That will tell them of your love,
For such giving pleases Jesus
As He watches from above.
If you cannot give abundance,
Give a little in His name;
For a little given rightly,
With His blessings on the same,
May be bread upon the waters
You will find again sometime
Multiplied to loaves of blessing
That are wondrous and sublime.
Give and help to spread the
Gospel
On the mission fields of Earth
Where the natives by the millions
Have not heard of Jesus’ birth.
Give to causes that are worthy
Of your money with a prayer;
Give and help to share the burdens
That so many people bear.
Let the Christmas thought of
giving
Go with you throughout the year,
Then your life will be a blessing
And you’ll have the thrill of cheer;
For in making others happy,
You will get a great supply,
As our Lord who reigns in heaven
Will then bless you from on high.
This poem was taken from the Overcoming Life Digest
(Nov./Dec. 2000 Issue); click here to view Digest
Return to Table of Contents
UNHOLY CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS
By
Betty Miller
Holidays
Christians look forward to the
time of the year when we celebrate two important holidays,
Thanksgiving and Christmas. These holidays have their beginnings
and roots in Christian celebrations. The word holiday
actually means "holy day"; hence these events should be remembered
and celebrated in a holy manner. We have strayed from that purpose
over the years as we have embraced many unholy practices and
worldly customs and added them to our "holy days."
Christmas has also been
perverted with many secular and traditional additions that take
away from this celebration of our Lord's birth. The materialism
that surrounds this season is one of the most obvious; however,
there are others. Office parties with the alcohol flowing freely
certainly desecrate all that the day stands for. As Christians, we
celebrate this day because it is the Lord's birthday and it gives
us pleasure to remember the Christmas story as recorded in the
Bible in Luke 2.
Was Christ Born on
December 25?
Scholars do not know the exact
date of Christ's birth. For more than 300 years, people observed
His birthday on various dates. In A.D. 354, Bishop Liberius of
Rome ordered the people to celebrate on December 25. He chose this
date because the people of Rome already observed it as the Feast
of Saturn, celebrating the sun. Christmas is not, as some have
claimed, historically descended from the celebration of the Roman
Saternalia with its fleshly excesses, but was set up by Christians
to counter it. Christians honored Christ, instead of Saturn, as
the Light of the World.
Due to this and other error, some Christians
argue we should not even observe Christmas since December 25 is
not the true birth date of our Lord Jesus Christ, as most scholars
agree it was in the fall. However, the date is not important but
the attitude of our hearts in celebrating it. It is how we
celebrate Christmas that pleases or displeases the Lord. Since it
is observed around the world, it is a wonderful time to witness to
people, and the holiday does cause many to think of Jesus.
It is not that to celebrate Christmas is wrong. It is the way
we treat it which makes it right or wrong.
Unholy Customs and
Traditions
For many years, people observed Christmas as
a religious festival only. But they gradually adopted more and
more customs unrelated to the church. In England, during the
Middle Ages, Christmas became the merriest day of the year.
Celebrations eventually became so rowdy that the Puritans in
England did away with the observance of Christmas by law in 1643.
Our present day celebration here in the United States is a
combination of several customs and traditions that come from
different European countries. (The World Book Encyclopedia gives
an in-depth description of these for those interested.) Since we
are looking to the Bible for our standards it would be well to
eliminate those things that are not Christ-exalting. We should
avoid going to extremes, but on the other hand we should not
partake of things that are not honoring Jesus' birthday.
What About The
Christmas Tree?
One tradition that we might mention that has
been a controversy in Christian ranks is the decorating of the
Christmas fir tree. There are several stories about the origin of
the Christmas tree. People in Scandinavia once worshiped trees.
Other cultures such as the Romans believed the green tree branches
brought good luck. The Germans were probably the first to use
Christmas tree decorations. Some Christians think this tradition
should not be observed because of this. However, we find in the
Bible that the same custom existed in that day and we find the
Lord's instructions as to what our stand should be.
Jeremiah 10:1, "Hear ye the word
which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2 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. 3 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 ax. 4
They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails
and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are upright as the palm
tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot
go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also
is it in them to do good."
Here the heathen of that day where cutting
down trees and decorating them and worshipping them. But the word
of the Lord was for his people not to fear this practice as He
pointed out to them that the tree itself had no power to do good
or evil. Evil is in the heart of man. So putting up a Christmas
tree is not evil or good in itself. If we decorate a tree and
celebrate in honor of our Lord Jesus then, to us it is good. To
those with improper motives, it is evil. There is a Biblical
reference for bringing boughs into the house for celebration. The
Lord commanded Israel during the feast of tabernacles to do just
that.
Leviticus 23:40, "And ye shall take
you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm
trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook;
and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days."
What About Santa
Claus?
There is one area in our Christmas
celebration however, that has no Biblical basis. We realize this
is a sensitive issue but we feel Christians should be made aware
of this as it is having a tremendous effect on our children that
produces no Christian fruit. This is the interjection of "Santa"
into our Christmas gatherings. Satan has infiltrated and defiled
our Christian celebration of Christmas by adding the dimension of
emphasizing Santa Claus at the celebration of the Savior's birth.
Satan perverts that date because he hates to see people
worshipping the Lord. Instead he diverts adults and children alike
to revolve their attention around what Santa will bring that day
instead of what the real meaning of the day really is. The name
"Santa Claus" was taken from a kindhearted Christian bishop, Saint
Nicholas, who lived in the A.D. 300's. He became the patron saint
of many European countries. In the Netherlands and Belgium men in
bishops' robes pose as Saint Nicholas and visit children, examine
them on their prayer and urge them to be good, and give them
gifts. Hence, the Dutch brought "the visit of Saint Nicholas" to
the Americas. The Christmas visit of Santa Claus came from this
custom.
You can see how through the years it has
changed now and Santa Claus has replaced the celebration of our
Lord's birth. "Old Saint Nicholas" or "Santa Claus" has been
interjected into the day to take away from the true meaning of
Christmas. Santa Claus is portrayed as a god. He supposedly "knows
all" as does God. ("He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when
you're awake, he knows when you've been bad or good...") He has
supernatural power as he flies through the air making stops
throughout the world in one night. He comes down chimneys that
would be impossible to enter and has an unlimited supply of toys
in one sleigh. He has elves as assistants. (Elves originated in
Scandinavian mythology. There were good and evil elves who could
disappear at will.) The belief in Santa Claus is also based on a
lie. This lie by parents undermines the trust of their children.
Later the children may then doubt the reality of God because
parents lied about Santa Claus. The emphasis is on receiving gifts
in many homes, instead of exchanging gifts. Gifts for the Lord are
forgotten.
As Christians, we should ask the Lord how to
purge this holiday of Satan's false god, Santa Claus, and put the
emphasis on Christ and His love so that our children know the true
meaning of this holy day. Many children only know that it is a day
that Santa will come and bring them gifts. They know nothing of
the gift of love that was sent to us in the birth of Jesus, our
savior. Wouldn't it be better if we refused to tell our children
the lie about Santa? Some may say how terrible to deny children
the fun of Santa Claus because he is only a fairy tale like other
fairy tales. However, if we ask why Santa Claus is promoted at
Christmas instead of another day of the year, I believe we can see
the answer clearly. He has become a substitute in the lives of
millions of children so that they know nothing of the true gift of
life in Christ. I dare say if you ask any child in America who
Santa Claus is they would be able to tell you, but many of those
same children if asked who Jesus Christ is would not be able to
answer that question.
What About Gift
Giving?
So much emphasis is put upon getting gifts at
Christmas. This has promoted materialism and selfishness in many
children as well as the adults. It is the Lord's birthday. Where
are our gifts to Him and His interests? It isn't wrong to give
gifts at Christmas as this is part of the spirit of Christ --
giving. What is wrong, is that we have gone to the extreme and
forgotten the Lord and the poor in our giving. Biblical
celebrations such as the one in Esther 9:22 are
approved by God. "As the days wherein the Jews rested from
their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from
sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should
make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to
another, and gifts to the poor."
Our modern Christmases have become mostly
tinsel, and every true believer is aware of it. Stress from all
the shopping and cooking keeps many from even enjoying this time
of year. The media at the holiday season will carry advertisements
for items to be given as gifts, which are a disgrace to Jesus
Christ. The legend of St. Nicholas, the notorious Christmas office
party, the giving of drunken entertainment, the materialism and
selfishness which have paganized and spoiled Christmas of its true
Christian meaning are things we need to resist and have no part
in. Our task, if we are true Christians, is to recapture this
holiday from the pagans. It really belongs to us as believers! In
fact, in our spirits we should celebrate Christmas every day of
the year, instead of once a year as the world does. It does not
take tinsel and decoration to remind us of Jesus when we truly
love and worship Him from our hearts.
This article was taken
from the Overcoming Life Digest (Nov./Dec. 1997 Issue);
click here to view Digest
Return to Table of Contents |
