Merry Christmas!

Here we have an annual paradox; the real reason for Christmas.

Humanists would have us believe that Christians borrowed a pagan celebration of the winter solstice and converted it conveniently into a celebration of Jesus' birth.

I say, what does it matter when we celebrate the birth of Jesus? The fact that we celebrate it and recognize that the reason for Christmas is that celebration is good enough for me!

So, where did all of this gift-giving stuff come from?

Right from scripture, that's where!

Matthew 2: 9 "After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh."

So, giving gifts at Christmas emulates the actions of the Magi, with one marked difference; the Magi presented their gifts to Jesus and WE present our gifts to one another!

Perhaps Christmas would be less commercial if we went back to presenting our gifts to Jesus and His representatives on earth. Who are they? Well, Jesus told us who they are!

Matthew 25: 34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "

So, how did Christmas go from what was intended to the debauchery it has become?

Matthew 6: 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

We decided as a society and a people that we would ignore Jesus and store up treasures here rather than in heaven! Worse still, we do not worship God, but the almighty dollar instead.

And we wonder why our economy is collapsing? It isn't based on charity, hard work, and saving; it's based on the opposite of those things.

Happy birthday, Jesus! May we come to realize our error and return to You as a people and nation! - Amen