The precious word of God has been set before us, “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” so that we may be “perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Tim.3:16-17) There are many religions, such as Catholicism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, etc, who reject the word of God as their final authority and depend on the teachings of men. If one of their doctrines cannot be found in the Bible, they seek to the world to fill them, despising the bread set before them as “not enough”. (Nu.11:20) Catholicism turns to her “church fathers” such as Thomas Aquinas, who depended on the philosophies of Aristotle, whereas Jehovah’s Witnesses turn to the Watchtower and Mormons to the lies of Joseph Smith. The Lord, foreseeing how men would despise His word and lust after the things of the world, warned His own:
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Col.2:8)
As Christians who believe “sola scriptura” ("scripture alone" the cry of the Reformation), we do not despise the bread set before us. We are content with such things as the Lord has given us. We need not lust after the things the world has to offer. When we see how the world worships their gods, we despise it, knowing it can only rob the people of true worship to the One True God, Jesus Christ. We dare not offer our holy God the corrupt things the heathen offer. We trust the word of God has provided everything we need to be “perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works”. We hold that God did not forget to put some things in His word. When God said “all good works”, then He meant “all”, and when He said, “perfect”, He meant “perfect”, that means “complete, lacking nothing”. You cannot add to God’s word thinking it incomplete without insulting God, which now brings me to the reason for this article.
There is no doubt that Christmas is a tradition of men with no Biblical foundation. From the putting up of a tree and decorating it to the blasphemous shaman Santa, from the mistletoe to the Yule log, all has its origin in paganism and witchcraft.
Ex-Romanist L. J. King, in his book, House of Death and Gate of Hell (1944), keenly aware of the pagan origins of Christmas, writes:
“Just recently creeping into the Protestant churches, usurping the Authority and Office Work of the Holy Spirit. Here are a few we mention briefly: Christmas, No Bible for it. The Birth of Jesus was not allowed to be recorded. God hid it from a drunken world. Too sacred. It don’t matter when He was Born, nor when He was crucified, nor when He was buried, nor when He arose, nor when He ascended back to Heaven nor When He will come Again. The Bible says it’s so and so it is. Amen. Christmas, a compound word. Rome made it. Means Hi Mass for Jesus Christ. He was not a Romanists and He does not need Roman Pagan Masses. Drop the word Mass and what have you left? You have CHRIST, and Christ is all; what else do you need? Nothing. He fills the bill. He Saves and Sanctifies us. He paid the debt. It is FINISHED. Repent, believe, receive Him. It’s ended. The work is done At the Cross the old Law System ended. It fell down and is no more, its our School Master to bring us to Christ. It was the shadow of the good thing to come. He Has come. We don’t need the shadow, We Have Him. Amen. Under Law it was “DO.” Under GRACE it’s done. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God. Thank God...Christmas trees humbuggery and Santa Claus lies of the devil has not one thing to do with the Life of the Son of God...Roman Catholics made all this, old Saint Nicholas humbug. Patron Saint of Holland coming down the flue, etc. Lies from the devil. Read Jeremiah Tenth, one to five. Believe the Bible, and quit preaching lies of the devil. Your children know more about Santa Humbug coming down the Alaska and making headquarters at some big store for your money than they do about Jesus Christ the Saviour of the word” (123-124).
Many Christians who have already been made aware of the lies, continue to celebrate this season to “honor Jesus”. Their “good memories” of past Christmases blur any of the evil elements, blasphemies and lies the season offers. They often reminisce of their mothers baking Christmas cookies and candies, not to speak of all the special Christmas recipes one may expect for the feast day. Yes, they tend to forget how often they complained while standing in long lines at the check out counter or sitting in all the traffic jams trying to get to the mall. They forget the burden of debt or hurt feelings for those they “forgot”. As much as people complain of the burden of Christmas, the bottom line is that they love the burden. They feel that if their hearts are right, Christmas can’t be wrong. They forget the warning of the scriptures:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer.17:9)
We dare not trust in our own hearts, but rather, in the word of God.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
Wisdom is to believe God and obey His word, and not follow the dictates of one’s wicked heart, regardless of the temptations the world has to offer. Remember, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man….” (1 Cor.10:13) Seeing there is no new thing, we should not be surprised to find out that the apostle Paul had to rebuke the early Christians for also desiring again to be in bondage.
“Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.” (Gal. 4:8-11)
We have been set free! Jesus said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36) God has set before us His precious word that we may eat freely. (Rom.8:32, 1Cor.2:12)Yet, many Christians despise the word set before them and desire to eat the dainties the pagans eat.
"Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties." (Psalms 141:4)
In other words, serving God in spirit and in truth just isn’t much fun to them. They see how the pagans worship their gods, and, just like Israel, they desire to do the same, but feel justified doing it in the name of Jesus.
“When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” (Deut.12:29-32)
Israel did not heed the warning. They followed wicked leaders who led them into serious idolatry. Jeroboam was a good example. He “devised of his own heart: and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel.” (1Kings 12:33) They trusted in their “fathers” and their traditions, instead of trusting in God’s word. Now these things happened to Israel for an example unto us.
“But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.” (1Cor.10:5-6)
The Lord delivered Israel with many signs and wonders out of the land of Egypt, where they had been in bondage for 400 years. Egypt was struck down with many plagues while Israel remained untouched. They saw the Red Sea open and they passed through on dry ground, while their enemies perished trying to do the same. They saw manna rain down from heaven and feed them. They all drank from that Rock that followed them, which was Jesus Christ." (1Cor.10:4) Yet for all these signs and wonders they lusted for the things they had in Egypt.
“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1 Cor.10:11)
Let’s go back and look at the example set before us by the church in the wilderness.
The great famine brought Israel to Egypt where Joseph ruled. But it wasn’t long before a new king arose that didn’t know Joseph. Exodus 1:8-14 tells us:
“Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.”
Egypt had become the taskmaster, and Israel suffered hard bondage and their lives became bitter. Their labor was so overwhelming that they cried unto the Lord for deliverance:
“Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:9-10)
The Lord, in His mercy and His grace delivered Israel from her oppressor from whom she cried for deliverance. But it wouldn’t take long for Israel to forget what she suffered in bondage and start lusting for evil things.
“And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes." (Numbers 11:4-6)
Just think about this: Israel remembered the food they ate and forgot all the oppression! Sound familiar? They forgot how they cried unto the Lord to deliver them. They seem to have forgotten how that Pharaoh had ordered that bricks be made without straw. Exodus 5:16 reads:
“There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.”
Yes, they forgot the bondage that Egypt offered them and lusted for the tasty things that appealed to their flesh.
“Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased...And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?...And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.” (Nu.11:18-34)
The Lord’s anger was kindled because they said, “Why came we forth out of Egypt?” Israel despised the manna, (the foreshadowing of Jesus); they “despised the LORD among you”. They wanted to fill their flesh, (much like the Christians today), however, there was a cost:
But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." Psalms 106:14-15
Interesting that it was food they sat around and reminisced about. Did not Esau sell his birthright for a meal? Makes me wonder how many would sell their birthright for a meal when the mark of the beast comes and no man can buy or sell without it. (Rev.13:17)
Paul had to warn the Galatians not to desire to be back in bondage by observing days, times and seasons, much like Christians today are warning the brethren not to desire to be in the bondage of the Christmas season. Don’t lust after their delicate foods, bright lights and decorated idols. These are trappings to appease the flesh. Christmas has NOTHING to do with Jesus. It is only a device of Satan to bring Christians back into bondage, and to lust after evil things.
Do you suppose Satan knows that we are not to worship the Lord God as the heathen do? Of course he does! He’s been seducing men since Adam and Eve. His first seduction was “Yea, hath God said.” (Gen.3:1) Satan can quote scripture and is a master at twisting it. This is exactly why God commands us to “study”. (2 Tim.2:15) By studying, we learn the things that please God and the things that God hates….and God hates every false way.
Psalms 119:104 "Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way."
Yes, my friend, God hates. I know that everyone likes to talk about the love of God, which I also enjoy. However, we must not forget that there are things God hates and He has made them quite clear. Seeing then that the Lord hates the things the heathen do unto their gods, we should take heed not to offer the same things unto the Lord Jesus Christ. The key to understanding how we should worship Him is found in Deut.12:32,
“What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.”
By Rebecca A. Sexton