The True Meaning Of Christ-Mass
(an excerpt)
A true Christian would want to examine everything they say, because Jesus said in Matthew 12:36-37, “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” We will now set aside all of the customs, glitter and traditions of Christmas, which were taken from pagan witchcraft and popularized by the Roman Catholic Church, and we will focus on the true meaning of the words, “Merry Christmas!”
The word “Merry” is simple to define. It unquestionably means to be happy, joyful and light-hearted. The word “merry” fits into the ambience of laughter and frivolity. This word “merry” by itself is innocent and innocuous enough, but as we will now see, it becomes heinously blasphemous when used with the word “Christmas.” source
Do Not Take the Lord’s Name in Vain — “Christ” and “mass” are two words that are totally opposite from one another, and to connect the two is to blaspheme the name of Christ. By taking a pagan celebration, “Christianizing” it, and calling it a celebration of the birth of Christ, is most certainly taking the Lord’s name in vain. (A good example of the willingness of the confessing church to profane the name of the Lord would be the title of a popular children’s Christmas concert production – The Divine Ornament. Imagine, identifying our Lord with a pagan ornament to hang on a pagan tree! What insult! What blasphemy!)…
…”Christmas Provides a Festive Time to Share the Gospel” — One cannot take something condemned in God’s Word and “use it” to spread the Gospel; neither will God bless it to spread His Word. Unacceptable worship and the “mixing-in” of unholy/pagan forms is surely not the normal means through which God blesses the faithful. Satan works to blend together his system with God’s system, because when unacceptable worship (paganism) is blended with true worship (God’s truth), true worship is destroyed. In fact, any time one mixes pagan ideas and practices with the pure religion of Christ, it is condemned in Scripture as the heinous sin of idolatry! God has always detested taking those things dedicated to idols and using them to worship Him. As a matter of fact, this “special time of the year” is probably more a hindrance to the receptiveness of the gospel message than a help. Much of the celebration observed by our contemporary society deludes people into assuming that God is pleased, when in reality, He is offended by false religion, pseudo-worship, and alien philosophies. The ecumenical spirit and a counterfeit “love” under the guise of “peace and goodwill among men,” more than likely dulls one’s sensitivity to his desperate need to repent of sin and be reconciled to a holy God.source
“…it ultimately doesn’t matter what it means to us but what it means to Him.” Jim Staley
a disclaimer: I do not endorse the beliefs of anyone cited in my post or the comment line. Only that which is said concerning this ungodly holiday.
Spurgeon would use the holiday season to preach on the birth of Christ and His earthly ministry. No, he did not approve of the holiday but, yes, he would exploit it for the sake of spreading the good news of our Savior’s birth. In the video one would get the impression that Spurgeon was against such a holiday. However, he would wish his congregants a Happy Christmas. Spurgeon is one of my favorite preachers to learn from but I believe had he known just how pagan the holiday was, he would have preached against such ungodly folly. He may very well have pointed out in Scripture, like Jim Staley did in the video, that we are not to worship God using pagan artifacts and traditions. God was never pleased with the Hebrews worshiping Him via golden calves no matter how they were certain they were doing the ceremonies to honor Him.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/revolutionaryradio/2012/12/27/post-pagan-holiday-special
Now that the Nimrod, Beast Feast pagan holidays are over, I wish to broadcast some information that may prove valuable to you. Whether you are hearing this for the first time or whether you want someone else to hear this, I believe tonight’s broadcast will be useful in helping people to understand why do we do the things we do. What’s wrong with Christmas and Easter? Should Christians celebrate these holidays? Is there a biblical precedence for turning pagan rituals into celebrations that (claim to) honor our Savior? Let’s find out what YHVH thinks about such things.
About Spurgeon…. hope this helps you…
On Sunday morning, December 24, 1871, entitled, “Joy Born at Bethlehem,” Spurgeon began his sermon with these words:
“We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas. First, because we do not believe in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be sung in Latin or in English; and secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Savior; and consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority. Superstition has fixed most positively the day of our Savior’s birth, although there is no possibility of discovering when it occurred. … It was not till the middle of the third century that any part of the church celebrated the nativity of our Lord; and it was not till very long after the Western church had set the example, that the Eastern adopted it. … Probably the fact is that the “holy” days were arranged to fit in with the heathen festivals. We venture to assert, that if there be any day in the year, of which we may be pretty sure that it was not the day on which the Savior was born, it is the twenty-fifth of December. Nevertheless since, the current of men’s thoughts is led this way just now, and I see no evil in the current itself, I shall launch the bark of our discourse upon that stream, and make use of the fact, which I shall neither justify nor condemn, by endeavoring to lead your thoughts in the same direction. Since it is lawful, and even laudable, to meditate upon the incarnation of the Lord upon any day in the year, it cannot be in the power of other men’s superstitions to render such a meditation improper for to-day. Regarding not the day, let us, nevertheless, give God thanks for the gift of His dear Son.”
In December of 1855 he preached on “The Incarnation and Birth of Christ” from Micah 5:2. His opening words were these:
THIS is the season of the year when, whether we wish it or not, we are compelled to think of the birth of Christ. I hold it to be one of the greatest absurdities under heaven to think that there is any religion in keeping Christmas-day. There are no probabilities whatever that our Savior Jesus Christ was born on that day and the observance of it is purely of Popish origin; doubtless those who are Catholics have a right to hallow it, but I do not see how consistent Protestants can account it in the least sacred. However, I wish there were ten or a dozen Christmas-days in the year; for there is work enough in the world, and a little more rest would not hurt laboring people. Christmas-day is really a boon to us, particularly as it enables us to assemble round the family hearth and meet our friends once more. Still, although we do not fall exactly in the track of other people, I see no harm in thinking of the incarnation and birth of the Lord Jesus. We do not wish to be classed with those
“Who with more care keep holiday
The wrong, than others the right way.”
In the same vein Spurgeon preached a message entitled, “Mary’s Song,” based on Luke 1:46-47 (#606, MTP). In it he says,
Observe, this morning, the sacred joy of Mary that you may imitate it. This is a season when all men expect us to be joyous. We compliment each other with the desire that we may have a “Merry Christmas.” Some Christians who are a little squeamish, do not like the word “merry.” It is a right good old Saxon word, having the joy of childhood and the mirth of manhood in it, it brings before one’s mind the old song of the waits, and the midnight peal of bells, the holly and the blazing log. I love it for its place in that most tender of all parables, where it is written, that, when the long-lost prodigal returned to his father safe and sound, “They began to be merry.” This is the season when we are expected to be happy; and my heart’s desire is, that in the highest and best sense, you who are believers may be “merry.” Mary’s heart was merry within her; but here was the mark of her joy, it was all holy merriment, it was every drop of it sacred mirth. It was not such merriment as worldlings will revel in to-day and to-morrow, but such merriment as the angels have around the throne, where they sing, “Glory to God in the highest,” while we sing “On earth peace, goodwill towards men.” Such merry hearts have a continual feast. I want you, ye children of the bride-chamber, to possess to-day and to-morrow, yea, all your days, the high and consecrated bliss of Mary, that you may not only read her words, but use them for yourselves, ever experiencing their meaning: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.”
Thank you, Rob, for those quotes. You know my respect and love for our brother C. H. Spurgeon. However, I have to disagree with Spurgeon in his use of the term “Christmas.” And if he set up a decorated tree and other such things as using a Yule log, then I would say he was in error. Most likely in ignorance as many are in such a state today concerning the holiday. I doubt much the man would want the least little thing to do with the holiday if he were more knowledgeable of the pagan practices that were christianized. He is a godly man and I do not dare question his or anyone’s status in Christ just because they celebrate the holiday. But why do we think God is pleased with replacing Tammuz with Christ Jesus? Then He would have to be pleased with the Hebrew Children for their Golden Calves. After all, they were worshiping Him and not some other god. At least in their mind and heart’s belief.
And Spurgeon erroneously believed the “Merry” of “Merry Christmas” was what was wrong with the holiday in the minds of the believers. Maybe in his day believers thought it was not to be so when it came to the seriousness of Christ’s birth to His work on the cross, I don’t know. However, as I linked to above in my post, it is the “Christ Mass” that should not be considered “Merry.” Though I admire Spurgeon, his beliefs in the matter do not ascend God’s Word on it. God told the Hebrew Children they were not to worship Him using the heathens’ ways. I cannot find where God has backed off on His command. We shouldn’t even have the appearance of evil. The unsaved can know about the pagan roots as Christians do-does that bring God glory?
Perhaps we should do as Spurgeon said and make more celebrations of Christ’s birth and ministry on other days, like doing so on Sundays. No one seems to like the idea of Sunday family get-togethers in homes or churches as they once did. I remember fondly how we would go to Grandma’s house for a big family feast after church services every Sunday. No one went to the same church but we did come together afterward as family both in the familial and spiritual sense. Now that would keep the world in wonder at how we celebrate Christ Jesus.
Christmas by A.W. Pink
http://www.apuritansmind.com/puritan-worship/christmas-and-the-regulative-principle/christmas-by-a-w-pink/
http://www.apuritansmind.com/puritan-worship/christmas-and-the-regulative-principle/
FTA: If Christ was taken out of the picture altogether, XMAS would be acceptable to the Christian. Like Father’s day or Mother’s Day, holidays to exchange gifts and have parties together with family and friends is quite acceptable (except when those holidays interrupt or fall on the the Lord’s Day). The contention that arises is when one places Christ within the Christmass scheme to use it as a day to commemorate and remember His birth, that it becomes a direct violation of the Regulative Principle of worship. Upon the violation of this principle of worship lies the ground by which every Christian should see Christmass as abominable. It is true that extreme debt, excess financial strain, Christmas party debauchery, a-whoring after material wealth, unbridled children demanding certain gifts and throwing tempter tantrums when they are refused them, and the like, also are added into the bag of those things which Christians should oppose during the “jolly season.” However, it is upon the principle of God’s command in worship that Christmas becomes detestable.
FTA: For instance, if men say that drama or mime is acceptable in worship because God has not expressly commanded that it not be done, they are violating the Regulative Principle. God expresses states what He does command and does not need to expressly forbid what He does not. (That would take volumes.)
FTA: …the appeal to men may be helpful, but the opinions of men, no matter how renown they may be, should never be the basis of setting the Christian’s conscience. The Christian conscience should be captive by the Word of God alone. …In any case, the appeal to men cannot bind the conscience of the Christian, as helpful they may be in their exegetical prowess…
I would add that the holiday would be fine so long as there were no references to the pagan worship of Tammuz, not even in the artifacts. What is left? Presents.
Jeremiah 10:2
King James Version (KJV)
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.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+10%3A2-5&version=KJV
Leviticus 18:30
New International Version (NIV)
30 Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.’”
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+18:30&version=NIV
Mark 7:7-8
King James Version (KJV)
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%207:7-8&version=KJV
Deuteronomy 12:3-4
King James Version (KJV)
3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.
4 Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.
(this shows how serious God is about the things and practices of the heathens in their worship-these things were THAT detestable that they should be utterly destroyed so that His children would not be tempted to pick them up again and defile themselves with the things of pagan worship)
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2012:3-4&version=KJV
Deuteronomy 12:29-32
King James Version (KJV)
29 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;
30 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.
31 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.
32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2012:29-32&version=KJV
2 Corinthians 6:15-18
King James Version (KJV)
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%206:15-18&version=KJV
1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Why the need to tell God’s own children to keep from idols? Does this not apply to us today? If Christ mass is putting a Christian veneer over an ancient pagan holiday that was still being celebrated at the time of its christianization, then are we really heeding John’s words?
Its beyond me how anyone can think God is pleased with the use of articles and symbols and such that were used for the worship of idols (Tammuz and the Queen of Heaven) to worship Him. Sneaky tactic of the devil…it worked in deceiving the Christian masses.
Do not the Christians who celebrate this christianized pagan holiday all through the ages, from its inception until now, give their approval for disobeying God’s Word concerning having >>>NOTHING<<<to do with idols and the works of darkness?
http://a-voice.org/tidbits/xmass.htm
FTA: As if that were not telling enough it gets even more obvious. In fact this historical source simply explains it as it is…
“In the early ages of Christianity, its ministers frequently experienced the utmost difficulty in inducing the converts to refrain from indulging in the popular amusements which were so largely participated in by their pagan countrymen. Among others, the revelry and licence (sic) which characterized the Saturnalia called for special animadversion. But at last, convinced partly of the inefficacy of such denunciations, and partly influenced by the idea that the spread of Christianity might thereby be advanced, the church endeavored to amalgamate, as it were, the old and new religions, and sought, by transferring the heathen ceremonies to the solemnities of the Christian festivals, to make them subservient to the cause of religion and piety. A compromise was thus effected between clergy and laity, though it must be admitted that it proved anything but a harmonious one, as we find a constant, though ineffectual, proscription by the ecclesiastical authorities of the favourite amusements of the people, including among others the sports and revelries at Christmas.
Ingrafted thus on the Roman Saturnalia, the Christmas festivities received in Britain further changes and modifications, by having superadded to them, first, the Druidical rites and superstitions, and then, after the arrival of the Saxons, the various ceremonies practiced by the ancient Germans and Scandinavians. The result has been the strange medley of Christian and pagan rites which contribute to make up the festivities of the modern Christmas.”19
FTA:The Most High hates idolatry and this is what Christ ‘mass’ is all about. Christians should not partake of the Catholic mass, which is the origin of the name of this pagan holiday.
“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” 1st Corinthians 10:14 (notice that this is spoken to Christians!)
“You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image; any likeness of anything in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them; for I, Jehovah your God, am a jealous Mighty God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Deuteronomy 5:7-10
We are called by God to live holy and righteous lives before Him. We are to be separate from the world.
(the above article has alot of information in it)
Is Christmas Harmless?
http://www.ucg.org/commentary/christmas-harmless/
FTA: Is Christmas really harmless to Christians?
First, what is a Christian?
If you profess that you’re a Christian, you’re saying that you follow Jesus Christ. Christ says that a true Christian follows Him, no matter the cost (Luke 14:26-33), is a living sacrifice for God (Romans 12:1), thinks and acts like Jesus did (1 John 2:6) and obeys all Ten Commandments (1 John 5:3).
If Jesus never instituted or kept Christmas, never taught His apostles to observe it, never promoted Santa Claus or the Christmas tree—plus the fact that the Bible condemns such observances borrowed from paganism (Jeremiah 10:1-9) — how can Christmas be considered a Christian holiday, and why would you want to observe it?
Even the government-recognized church didn’t accept the term Christmas for 800 years! “It was only in the 4th century that 25 December was officially decreed to be the birthday of Christ, and it was another 500 years before the term Midwinter Feast was abandoned in favor of the word Christmas” (Richard Cavendish, Man, Myth, & Magic , 1983, Vol. 2, p. 480).
Fact: True Christianity and Christmas observance constitute an oxymoron.
FTA: Over 2 billion Christians accept Christmas as if it were based on biblical truth. But despite its widespread popularity, it still remains a counterfeit holiday that God condemns (Deuteronomy 12:29-30).
A lifted comment from http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/a-puritan-christmas/
The real question should be what does the word of God say on the subject? If indeed it was a pagan festival that was “converted” to Christianity, does the word of God support such a practice? By example, from God’s word, is it ok to take something from the worship of false gods and cleanse it and make it useable in the worship of Yahweh? I have yet to find such an example.
http://www.pbministries.org/Parachurch/christmas.htm
Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church. It was not celebrated, commemorated, or observed, neither by the apostles nor in the apostolic church — not for at least the first 300 years of church history! History reveals that about 440 A.D., the Church at Jerusalem commenced the celebration of Christmas, following the lead of Roman Catholicism. It was sufficient for the early Christians that Jesus, their Lord and Savior, had been born. They praised God that Jesus Christ had, indeed, come in the flesh. The day and the time of His birth had no relevance to them, because Jesus was no longer physically on earth. He had returned to heaven. And it was the risen, exalted Christ to whom they looked, and that by faith — not a babe laid in a manger. Jesus Christ is no longer a baby; no longer the “Christ-child,” but the exalted Lord of all.
Seemingly forgotten is the essential role religion played in the world of ancient Rome. But the Emperor Constantine understood. By giving official status to Christianity, he brought internal peace to the Empire. A brilliant military commander, he also had the genius to recognize that after declaring Christianity the “state” religion (Constantine forced all the pagans of his empire to be baptized into the Roman Church), there was need for true union between paganism and Christianity. The corrupt Roman Church was full of pagans now masquerading as Christians, all of which had to be pacified. What better way than to “Christianize” their pagan idolatries. Thus, the Babylonian mystery religions were introduced by Constantine beginning in 313 A.D. (and established a foothold with the holding of the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.). The Constantine-led Roman Church was more than willing to adapt and adopt pagan practices in order to make Christianity palatable to the heathen. Constantine used religion as a political tool, totally devoid of any true spirituality
1 Thes. 1:8-10; 5:22 — Paul says to turn from idols, not rename them and Christianize them). Roman Catholicism’s Christmas Day is nothing but “baptized” paganism, having come along much too late to be part of “the faith once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).
Yet, many who cry out all year long against the blasphemous Roman Catholic system, at year-end embrace Rome’s most blasphemous abomination of them all — Christmas!
1 Ki. 12:26-33 — In order to unify the northern ten tribes of Israel, ungodly King Jeroboam set up pagan idols, not in place of God, but as new focal points for directing worship to God. He even instituted a new festival on a new day; i.e., a new religious holiday of his own choosing. Even though the true God of Israel was still to be the object of worship in the new religious holiday, both the holiday and the worship were not authorized by God nor accepted by Him (1 Ki. 13:1-3; 15:29,30). Why? Because the concocted mixture of error with truth constituted false religion! Likewise, is not the celebration of Christmas a religious holiday of man’s own choosing, replete with pagan symbols and forms, all under the guise (by sincere Christians at least) of worshiping the one true God and Savior? But does not this worship form and system still constitute false religion, and thereby, make it unacceptable to God? And besides, where in the Bible do Christians have the right to add a new holy day to the so-called Christian calendar, any more than King Jeroboam had the right to add a new holy day to God’s theocratic calendar?
“Oh! But we do not bow down to the Christ mass tree!” Oh, really?
Confronting Christ mas
Though this article speaks of the “spirit” of Christ mass it seems to take offense at decorated trees being called “holiday” trees. Or, as my local radio host said, “Its not a Holiday tree, its a Christ mas tree!”
So, we MUST make sure the tree of Tammuz worship stays with the name of Christ mass…Nope! No worship of the tree here! So, why DO Christians drag the tree into the house and decorate it just as the pagans have done even before Christ’s birth? Hmmm…?
http://www.eliyah.com/paganexp.html
FTA: The very foundation of the Christmas holiday is a lie. The Messiah was not born December 25th. He did not ask us to celebrate his birthday. He did not say to set up a tree in our house and decorate it and our houses with anything. Santa Claus does not exist. He doesn’t have reindeer that fly and he isn’t going to come down anyone’s chimney on December 25th and leave any gifts. Everything is a lie. Is Yahweh the originator of this holiday? Or is it the father of lies? Yahushua condemned the leaders of that generation for teaching lies:
John 8:44 – “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
If satan is the father of lies, and this observance of Christmas is marked with all kinds of lies, who is the author of this ‘holiday?’ It seems to me that with all the lies and the pagan roots, satan’s fingerprints are all over this observance.
It’s high time that we forsake these lies and abide in the truth! Let’s forsake this foolish practice of yoking the Messiah (who said “I am the TRUTH”) together with lies, for He has nothing to do with lies.
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 5 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.