New Year's Resolution

1Peter 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

I received Jesus Christ as savior from my sins one year ago. (January 3^rd) I have been saved. Hallelujah! Praise the LORD! 

The more knowledge I have of Christ, the deeper understanding I have. I know that God wants us to be Christlike. (1 John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.) To do this I had to increase my education and understanding. This knowledge has greatly impacted me and convicted me of the need to obey what I have learned. 

My knowledge of God grows by reading the Bible daily, studying it, and being obedient to what it says. I feel that continuing on with this practice and with prayer and fasting, I will continue growing in Him. 

2Peter 3:17-18: "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." These verses tell that growing in knowledge of Christ will also protect us from faith falsehoods and errors. 

A result of knowing and obeying God is that He becomes greater and greater, while we become less and less, as we surrender control of our life to Him. Just the same, John the Baptist knew that. “[Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Jesus is the living Word (John 1:1), and the Bible is God's written Word. Therefore, complying to the Word of God is conforming to Christ. God wants us to not be concerned about the earthly pleasures of this world and to be obedient to His Word. Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

My New Years resolution is to be more Christ-like. 

 

We Must Not Blend

Deuteronomy 16:21 Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the Lord thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
 I'm sure these people think they've done a beautiful thing . . . but God is not pleased. Because of the use of trees in idolatry, God does not want them associated with His worship IN ANY WAY.

 WE MUST NOT BLEND

by Cathy Madden

You flood the hearts of children with bold-faced lies;
You tell them to believe in Santa and reindeer that flies.

You deceive them with the myth of December 25th;
You teach them to trust in someone who doesn’t exist.

It’s a mockery and a counterfeit of God and Christ;
Blatantly idolatrous in our creators sight.

You’re claiming, “But it’s so magical and all in fun!”
But, you haven’t considered the cost of the damage you’ve done.

We are warned, not to worship, the LORD in this way;
You’ve turned aside, from “the way” God commanded, in Moses day.

December 25th is not an appointed feast of the LORD;
It’s a feast appointed by man, packed with lies, which the LORD abhors.

Satan is a liar, and the father of lies;
He deceives the whole world, as an angel of light.

Lying to and deceiving children is a serious offense;
Not gaining entrance to heaven, may be the consequence.

Jesus said, “Take heed, that no man, deceive you”
And, “In remembrance of me, this do.”

He thanked God, broke the bread, his body given for you;
He took the cup, the New Covenant, in his blood, shed for you.

The phrase uttered December 25th, is not about his birth;
In truth, when you utter that phrase, you utter it with mirth.

It wasn’t an adorned tree, they crucified Jesus upon;
His suffering wasn’t “Merry” with gift exchanges at dawn.

Wake up! Come out from among them, so you won’t be condemned;
Flee this cunningly devised fable, with the world, we must not blend.

‘Twas a night in December and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not even my spouse.

Our Bibles were strewn on the shelf without care
Behind the new stereo speakers up there.`
The children were ready to crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.

And Mom in her rocker with babe on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the east there arose such a clamor,
Like someone was hitting brass pans with a hammer

Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the curtains and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.

A light in the sky like the sun sent a ray
And I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!

The sight of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus returning now just like He said

And I was complacent with sureness and wealth,
But cried when I saw him in spite of myself.

He opened with purpose the Book in his hand
It had all the names of every saved man.

He spoke not a word as he searched for my name;
When he said, "It's not here," my head hung in shame.

He stared at my tree with the presents beneath
He said "That is pagan, and so is your wreath;

A tribute to Nimrod is this shiny fir tree
Don’t try to bow down and devote it to me!`It isn’t my birthday,
not now in December
And I don’t get presents, but you do - remember?"

" `You celebrate Christmas to honor my name
My followers warned you … You know, it’s a shame-
`That you didn’t listen when they came around…"
He turned to leave quickly and continue his round

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I ignored them too long and thus sealed my fate.

My minister led me astray now I know,
To the cold jaws of death is the place I will go.
`Jehovah, our Father sent ministers out
With truths and fine knowledge to share on their route.

I stood and I cried as he rode out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been true to him and his light.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is soon drawing near.

There's only one path when he comes to call,
I found that Jehovah’s was true after all!

God considers an adorned tree for December 25th in honor of his son, Christ Jesus, to be idolatry. He abhors it.
God provided trees to meet the needs of animals and mankind. They are a source of wood, shade, paper, oxygen, shelter, food, etc… God does not want you honoring or worshipping his son or him with a decorated tree nor all the other trappings of this day. The presents you wrap and place under it does not honor either one of them. For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. (2 Kings 17:12)

Cutting a tree down for the sole, useless, purpose of decorating it destroys the purpose that God intended for it. When you kneel down to receive presents that the tree or fat man in the red suit did not provide, it is false worship.

Setting up a decorated tree and the other trappings of this day in your home and telling the children to “believe” in lies is an abomination to God. This “day” does not honor or represent the ways of the LORD.

We cannot change what God says nor how he feels about pagan ways of worship because he does not change; he is the same yesterday, today and forever. True believers "must worship God in spirit and in truth"- John 4:24. You can’t do that for December 25th because everything about it is a lie, it is deception and mockery.

They despised the LORDS statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them. (2 Kings 17:15)

All worshipers of images are put to shame who make their boast in worthless idols; worship him, all you gods!
(Psalm 97:7)

1 Sam 12:21 Do not turn to follow after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.

Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord.(2 Kings 23:24)

IDOLATRY WILL BE CUT OFF…
“And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land." (Zechariah 13:2)

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21) 

The “spirit” of December 25th is the “spirit of uncleanness” and we are not instructed by God to practice such a thing.

by Susan Weeks 

Some of us have been spreading the word about the thoroughly pagan origins of Christmas, and the good reasons why Christians shouldn't celebrate it. I understand many Christians have not yet heard these reasons . . . but some have and it is them that I am addressing.

There is an argument that is repeatedly put forth. It goes something like this: I'm celebrating Christmas for the glory of God . . . I'm celebrating Jesus' birth (even though it wasn't Dec. 25th) . . . I'm not doing anything wrong . . . God knows my heart . . . He understands.

Let me share six verses of Scripture, because there is a lesson here--for those who have 'eyes to see' and 'ears to hear'.....
 
' . . . but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.' (Genesis 4:2-8)

There is a whole sermon here, but let me make just a few points. 

This was before the time of Moses, before the Law was established. Abel and Cain lived before the law, as Abraham did, under (the) grace (of God). It was already established that God would send a Savior. It also seems evident that God had established the practice of animal sacrifices for those who followed Him.

Cain was a farmer. I am a gardener. I can understand how Cain loved what he did, and was proud of what he produced. When he gave God an offering from what he had grown, he probably gave Him his best. He may have even done it with a heart full of genuine love for God. But He didn't obey God--God required a blood sacrifice.

Despite his good intentions, Cain disobeyed. He did what he thought best, rather than what God wanted. He probably believed that the ends justified the means. . . that when God saw what a wonderful offering he had prepared for Him, He would be quite impressed.

Notice Cain's reaction, when God did not accept his offering: he became irate. He did not repent. He did not return again with the proper offering. He became irate, and he sulked. Resentment took root in his heart. Resentment towards God, and resentment towards Abel, who WAS obedient and obtained God's favor. Even when God tried to correct his attitude, he persisted in his rebellion--yes, rebellion.

As God warned him, sin was lying at the door. For all appearances, it was only a short while later that what was brewing in Cain's unrepentant heart led him to kill his brother. If someone would have stopped him, while he was on his way to make his offering to God, and would have prophesied to him that his plan wasn't going to work out so well . . . and that he would end up killing his brother because of it . . . would he have shook his head at them in disbelief? He was riding high that day, full of pride and expectation that God would be persuaded to see things his way.

But God stepped on his toes. When he had given his sacrifice, He knew it was not what God wanted. Yet, I believe he was so proud of himself that he believed that God would like what he gave Him even better than what He asked for. When God didn't accept it, his pride would not allow him to repent. Instead, he became angry.

It worries me when I see this kind of a response, from people who say they are Christians. Many of them, when they are presented with the truth about Christmas, act just as Cain did. They seem to have a similar way of thinking. They believe that they can decide HOW they will obey God, and God will accept what they do because He will see that their heart is good. (That is a WHOLE other topic . . . ) They may be right, but I REALLY BELIEVE they are sadly mistaken.

Hear what Samuel told Saul, after he didn't quite do as God had commanded him:
'And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to OBEY [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.
For rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry.
Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from [being] king.' (1 Samuel 15:22-23)

Wow, pretty harsh huh?

God often uses another (Christian) to give a warning. When someone gives us a warning, we should prayerfully consider it!
'Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; . . . if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity . . . ' (Ezekiel 3:17,19)

For those who refuse to CONSIDER changing their ways about the celebration of Christmas . . . Christmas is no longer the issue. Such an attitude reveals a far greater issue . . . and this is what God sees when He looks into that heart: rebellion and stubbornness. Translated: witchcraft, iniquity and idolatry. (I Sam. 15:23)
(Are you still sure you want God to judge you by your heart, on this issue?)

Am I saying that no one should celebrate Christmas? I am saying that everyone should learn the roots of Christmas and then submit themselves to God to do HIS will--that means, surrender it to Him in prayer, having a willingness to do whatever He directs you to do.

Christmas - The Rejection of Jesus

Author:
Christopher J. E. Johnson
Published: Dec 25, 2011
Updated: Dec 24, 2013

Most Christians have a love for pagan things, and that doesn't mean they aren't saved by the Lord Jesus Chirst, but just because we grew up with a particular tradition that gives us a happy feeling, doesn't automatically make that tradition good. We are still in the sin of the flesh, and we must be constantly on guard against it. Most of the traditions of men today are grown out of the seeds of pagan witchcraft, which the Lord Jesus Christ abhors, and Christmas is no exception.

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.
-Colossians 2:8

I personally think Christmas trees are really pretty, and I still get that gooey inner feeling that everyone else gets from when they were a child around Christmas time when I look at one, but the fact is that they are 100% evil, and the more I study this issue, the more abhorrent they become when I look at them. One of the big problems in Christianity today is the DENIAL of the pagan origins of their traditions, or in other words, they lie to themselves (and to others) in order to keep from knowing the truth, and thereby preventing themselves from receiving conviction from the Holy Spirit that would force them to give up their fleshly lusts. We ought never to attmept to use our emotions as a substitute for the truth, because God will hold us accountable for what we refuse to learn.

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
-Ephesians 4:25

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,
-Hosea 4:6

This is a sensitive topic for many people, and I am fully aware I'm going to step on some toes. My prayer is that the Lord Jesus Christ would use this article to help Christians to turn from error, and turn to the truth of the Word in all matters.

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
-James 5:19-20

mass (n): 'eucharistic service,' old English mæsse, from Vulgar Latin *messa 'eucharistic service,' literally 'dismissal,' from Late Latin missa 'dismissal,'
(See 'mass' Etymology Online Dictionary, 2013, Douglas Harper, [www.etymonline.com])
 

Christmas in Latin is Cristes mæsse, which means "Mass of Christ." This is solely a Catholic concept, and Catholicism stands against most of what the Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us. The strange thing about this word 'mass' is that it comes from the latin which means to "dismiss," so literally translated, the words "Mass of Christ" means "Dissmisal of Christ."
 

dismiss (v): to discharge or remove; to put off or away; put aside; reject
(See 'dismiss', Random House Dictionary, Random House Inc, 2013; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2009)

When Christians walk around saying "Merry Christmas," literally translated, they are saying "Be happy on the day of rejecting Christ." It does not matter what you may have intended, this is the meaning of the phrase. Most of the world walks around in ignorance that they celebrate a holiday that has traditionally rejected Jesus Christ, but because the word "Christmas" contains the word 'Christ', they believe the lie.

Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;
-Luke 20:46

To some people, especially Catholics, this may not make much sense because they believe they are honoring Christ in their masses, but the fact is that the mass involves anti-biblical concepts and traditions that directly reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church has been successful in deceiving the world into thinking that it is somehow Christian, and have sadly influenced the Christian Churches into ignorantly giving reverence to the same false pagan gods that witches worship.

I am fully aware of the Catholic response to "Mass of Christ," and the priests will say they are "dismissing sins," sending them away, but not only is the Catholic mass a rejection of Jesus Christ because it is attempting to offer sacrifices to get grace, the literal meaning is still "dismissing Christ." Even if a Christian wants to defend using the phrase, it is still honoring Catholic heresy in the mass that rejects the once and for all sacrifice of Christ on the cross. (Read "Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism - The Mass & Transubstantiation" for more details.)

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.
-Galatians 4:9-10

As I begin to talk about this issue with Christians who are also lovers of Christmas, I immediately get called a "legalist," but this attack on me personally is a standard excuse from those who are defending their pagan lusts. The truth of the matter is that God's Word just told us in Galatians that those that are observing days and times (like Christmas) are turning to bondage, so the purpose of this teaching is to free Christians from pagan bondage and turn them to the liberty given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the exact opposite of a legalist.

Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
-Galatians 4:3

Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
-Romans 8:21

There is no place in the New Testament Gospel that we are instructed to observe specific days or times. So why are Christians so keen on following after these ritualistic holidays if they bring us under bondage?

Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
-Mark 7:13

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
-Romans 12:2

To understand the abomination of Christmas being brought into the Church of Jesus Christ, we need to understand its origin. Let's begin by looking closer at an old pagan celebration called "Saturnalia:"
"On 17 December each winter ancient Rome would erupte into a wild party called Saturnalia that lasted seven days. It was in honour of Saturn, the god of agriculture, from whose name we get Saturday. This day in December was the winter solstice and the belief was that this showed spring was drawing near and so the god of agricultural growth needed to be honoured... As the Saturnalia returned each year it brought with it thoughts of the peaceful reign of Saturn long ago, when all people were happy and good."
-J. John, A Christmas Compendium, Continuum, 2005, p. 121, ISBN: 9780826487490


As covered in this article on Halloween, witches hold eight major times of the year as high pagan holidays, and all of them are based on the position of the sun. (i.e. sun worship) Saturnalia starts on Dec 17th, and lasts until Dec 24th, putting the eve of the winter solstice right in the center. Just as they revere "All Hallow's Eve" or "Samhain," in October, so they too revere the eve of the Winter Solstice.
This holiday celebration is known as "Yule:"
"Yule (circa December 21)--the winter solstice--is an old solar ritual that has been preserved in the Christian observance of Christmas... This holiday (holy day; sacred day) astronomically marks the waning of winter. After the winter solstice, the hours of light increase each day. Therefore, Yule is associated with the returning warmth of the sun."
-Scott Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2012, p. 35, ISBN: 9780738717111

"Yule is celebrated at the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year... Yule is the Celtic celebration of the Goddess becoming the Great Mother, giving birth to the God who died at Samhain of the previous year. It is celebrated as the sun returns after the longest night of the year. In actuality, the holiday of Christmas has always been more Pagan than Christian, which is why many early Christians did not recognize it."
-Gary Cantrell, Wiccan Beliefs & Practices: With Rituals for Solitaries & Covens, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2001, p. 92-93, ISBN: 9781567181128

Both Yule and Saturnalia point to the same holiday:
"The tradition of Yuletide gift giving comes from Roman pagans who called Yule by the name Saturnalia, a festival to honor the God Saturn [sun god]... Early Roman explorers and conquerors carried this tradition throughout Europe, where it remained part of the Yule celebration."
-Edain McCoy, Sabbats: A Witch's Approach to Living the Old Ways, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2002, p. 59, ISBN: 9781567186635

Any Christian that will defend their Christmas celebration would immediately point out that Christmas falls on December 25th, not the 17th-24th. Of course, they ignore the Biblical warnings about observing days and times, and the fact that no where in the New Testament did the apostles and Christians celebrate birthdays, nor did Jesus give commandments to do so, but let's address their concern. What is significant about the 25th?

"Semiramis was the mother of, and also became the first wife of Nimrod, King of Babylon. By virtue of his being King, Nimrod was also believed to be a god... [After Nimrod was killed] Semiramis, not willing to give up her power and position and all ready being with child declared that Nimrod had gone to commune with the other gods and she sequestered herself away from the public eye until after her son, Tammuz was born. She presented him as Nimrod returned from heaven. Semiramis was hailed as Mother of god and Queen of Heaven. December 25th, Tammuz' birthday, the day of his return, was cause for great celebration. Icons of Semiramis holding the infant Tammuz appeared in shrines everywhere. Her statues were paraded through the streets in celebration. These parades were common for gods from Artemis to Zeus thoughout the pagan world and some even went on the road from town to town. A great festive atmosphere with much drinking, singing, dancing, debauchery and of course much merchandising always accompanied these events. Also along were the temple prostitutes, and even the more common whores of the area seeking to expand their commerce."
-James K. Allen, A Long Journey Home, Trafford Publishing, 2003, p. 106, ISBN: 9781412010184

This will take a bit of explaining, so let's take this one topic at a time since all the names can get confusing for those of us who are not familiar with pagan worship. First, let's look at the geneology from Noah to Nimrod (Gen 10:6-8):
And if you're asking, yes, that is a woman who bore a son, married that son, and then bore another son with her son. It's complete abomination in the eyes of God, but this is what happened. That's why if you've ever heard a person call someone "nimrod," it is an insult designed to accuse one's stupidity to be equivalent to marrying one's own mother.

This story changes slightly depending on who's telling it, so based on what I've managed to piece together, Nimrod was the ruler of Babylon at the time. Any king of Babylon was claimed to be a god. Nimrod was killed, so to protect her son/husband, Semiramis told the people that he left to commune with the gods, but he would return and she would bare him as a "virgin." Of course, she wasn't a virgin, and it is unclear whether she was impregnated by Nimrod himself, but this was likely the case. After Semiramis gave her "virgin" birth, she named the child Tammuz, and claimed he was Nimrod reborn, or in other words, this was a "god in the flesh."

"Semiramis gave birth to another child named Tammuz, by her son Nimrod. While claiming she was a virgin, she maintained that she was the reincarnation of Nimrod... This was the foundation of the virgin mother with child archtype that Satan used to corrupt the many world religions. Mary worship, and the icon of the virgin with child is derived from the image of Semiramis and her baby Tammuz by Nimrod."
-Cisco Wheeler, Behold a White Horse, Xulon Press, 2009, p. 155, ISBN: 9781607913559

So what is significant about all this, and what does it have to do with Christmas? Tammuz's birthday was December 25th. Pagans worshiped the false god Nimrod, then worshiped Tammuz (along with Semiramis), and made a celebration of his birth on the date we now know as Dec 25th. Statues and drawings in worship of the "virgin" mother and her "god" child were made by the Babylonians. A couple thousand years later, after Rome's conquest and the initiation of the occultic Catholic Church, looking for a reason to combine pagan religions together, Catholics saw the pagan worship of mother/child on Dec 25th, merged it with Catholcism, slapped a "Jesus" label on it, and called it "Christmas" by 400 A.D. "In 350, Pope Julius I officially declared December 25 as the birthday of Jesus. In 354, Bishop Liberius of Rome officially adopted December 25 as the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus, adding the holy day to the Roman calender... In A.D. 400, Pope Sixtus III conducted the first midnight Mass on Christmas at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome." -Joey Green, Weird and Wonderful Christmas: Curious and Crazy Customs and Coincidences from Around the World, Black Dog & Leventhal, 2012, p. 12, ISBN: 9781579129248

Nothing about this is Christian.
The Catholic Church adopted their "Madonna and Child" symbolism from pagan culture. Again, they simply took the pagan idols that were already worshiped by heathens, and adopted them into their church. Today, Catholics still bow down and worship pagan idols just like unbelievers have done for thousands of years.
(Read "Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism - Idolatry & Mary" for more details.)

Searching for the Final Antichrist As an interesting note, Semiramis is still portrayed in a number of famous places, and in statues and other depictions, she is often portrayed holding a torch instead of a child. The reason for this is because the torch (fire) is a symbol of the return of the pagan god Nimrod. According to the pagan stories, once Nimrod died, he was supposed to return in human form, so instead of depicting Semiramis holding a child, they depict her with no child, holding a torch awaiting Nimrod's return. (The fire light represents the sun, since Nimrod was considered to be the sun god.) This is a symbol that is awaiting a "messiah" child, which the Bible foretells to be the "son of perdition," the final antichrist, which will bring the world to a false peace.

Babylon was located in a land called Sumer (which is why you hear Babylonians sometimes referred to as Sumerians), and was named after the word 'babel' (babble), due solely to the location of the Tower of Babel attempted construction, where God separated their languages. At the time, most of these men and women were all worshiping the same handful of gods and goddesses, and even after their languages were split up, they still worshiped these same pagan dieties, but now each language called them by different names, which is why we have so many names in different regions for the same god/goddess today.

(Not every god/goddess in all mythology around the world came from Babylon, but most of the main figures did, and those were the ones from which the lesser region-based gods were derived.)

Because of the Tower of Babel event, the worship of Nimrod (and likewise Semiramis and Tammuz) stretches much farther across the world, and much further through time, than most people realize. Nimrod, Semiramis, and Tammuz are the Babylonian names, but they are all known by a number of different names in different countries, some you might be more familiar with depending on where you live:
"[Nimrod] was worshipped in Greece under the name Adonis. The name Adonis, by which this deity was known to the Greeks, is none other than the Phoenician Adhon, and as we know, the Phoenicians are Hamitic in origin. The name of a Phoenician deity, the Adonis of the Greeks, he was originally a Sumerian or Babylonian sun god called Dumuzu, the husband of Ishtar, who corresponds to Aphrodite, Venus of the Greeks. The worship of these deities was introduced into Syria in the very early times under the designation of Tammuz and Astarte and appears among the Greeks in the myth of Adonis and Aphrodite, who are identified with Osiris and Isis of the Egyptian pantheon, showing how widespread Babylonian cult became."
-Khamit Raamah Kush, Face of the Hamitic People, Xlibris Corporation, 2010, ISBN: 9781453500538

To give a few more examples, Semiramis is also called by Venus, Quan Yin, Aphrodite, Ceres, Shing Moo, Diana, Artemis, Astarte, *Ishtar, Irene, Isis, Ashtoreth, and "Mary" (in Catholicism). Nimrod/Tammuz is also called by Osiris, Horus, Jupiter, Saturn (for the celebration of Saturnalia), Adonis, Orion, Dumuzi, Bacchus, Apollo, Ra, Baal, and "Jesus" (in Catholicism). There are many more names than those I have listed here, but now you can see why the world has been so deceived to believe that false religions were popping up everywhere, when in reality they have mostly stemmed from a more singular source.
(*Ishtar is the goddess from which we get the celebration of "Easter.")

Though many Christians are ignorant of it, this concept of gods and goddesses operating under the same identity is well-known in Wiccan covens. The following is a quotation from a Wicca Handbook that explains how to perform magic, and it lists the goddesses names to be used under that category:
"Invoke: Aphrodite, Chalchihuitlcue, Deirdre, Erzulie, Hathor, Hebe, Helene, Oshun, Sarah, Semiramis, Venus, Zaria"
-Eileen Holland, The Wicca Handbook, Weiser Books, 2008, p. 118, ISBN: 9781609254520

This is written by a practicing Wiccan priestess, author of a number of books on witchcraft:
"The Goddess is the universe itself, not something separate from or superior to it. Creation is the business of the universe, which destroys only to re-create. We personify this as the Great Mother. She is self-created and self-renewing. We share atoms with her, are one small part of the godhead, but we are just one product of her great creative nature. Her variety is infinite, as evinced by snowflakes and fingerprints. She is the yin and yang of being, composed of both female (goddess) and male (god) energy. We worship her by many names: Ishtar, Isis, Shakti, Asherah, Xochiquetzal, Brigit, Pele, Copper Woman, Lupa, Luna. We also recognize old gods like Pan, Osiris, Tammuz, Jove, Quetzalcoatl, Cernunnos, Mithras, and worship them if we feel moved to do so."
-Eileen Holland, The Wicca Handbook, Weiser Books, 2008, p. 7, ISBN: 9781609254520

After understanding how paganism is perceived in witchcraft, we need to understand that there is a BIG difference between the Jesus Christ of the Bible, Son of the True Living God, and the pagan 'god' the Catholic Church worships, whom they give the name "Jesus." Likewise, there is a BIG difference between the Mary of the Bible whom God chose to be the virgin vessel through which He would enter the world in the flesh, and the "mary" of the Catholics, which is a false pagan goddess taken from the traditions of heathen.

This pagan author writes about Yule (Christmas). She refers to "Jesus" in this quote, but remember that the "Jesus" she is referring to is the false god the Catholics worship:
"We see the Pagan roots of this holiday in Christmas today, and most Pagans celebrate Yule instead of Christmas... the legend of the birth of Jesus originated in the stories of the rebirth of the Sun King."
-Yasmine Galenorn, Magical Meditations: Guided Imagery for the Pagan Path, Random House LLC, 2011, p. 81, ISBN: 9780307789945

The reason it is so important that we Christians separate ourselves from paganism is because when we celebrate pagan rituals and traditions, the world gets the impression that God's Word is just another evolved form of Babylonian/Sumerian pagan worship. Scoffers, especially those in the evolutionism/atheistic sector, often attempt to argue that Genesis is just reworked Babylonian mythology. Incredible numbers of our world's population has been deceived by Rome's attempt to pull all the pagan beliefs back under one umbrella, just as it used to be in Babylon, and the Catholic Church is the headquarters of that movement today, which is why you see such a strong ecumenical push by their popes and priests.

The Bible also mentions Tammuz worship: He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. -Ezekiel 8:13-14

Tammuz, being Nimrod (sun god) reborn, was supposed to have been killed in the fall with the leaving of the sun and coming of winter, and he's supposed to be born again to revive the sun during the celebration of the winter solstice. The Bible is referring to women who were sitting at the entrance of the temple (church), crying over a false god who "died" during a pagan festival.

Tammuz worship is still going on today in the Catholic Church, and the above image is of Catholic women weeping for false god they call "Jesus," but this is not the Jesus Christ of the Bible; this is really a representation of Tammuz, an idol brought into the Catholic Church via Rome's ecumenical abomination. This is what Revelation calls "MYSTERY BABYLON," as the pagan gods of ancient Babylon are still worshiped today under another name, with the Catholic Church (Rome) in leadership of it all.
(Read "Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism - A Woman Rides the Beast" for more details.)

During the days of Judgement, Jesus Christ is going to come face to face with Catholics, and they are going to tell Him that they called Him Lord, and prophesied and did many wonderful works in His name, but He will tell them to depart from Him because He never knew them. The reason for this is because they are worshiping a false idol called "Jesus" that actually represents a pagan sun god.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
-Matthew 7:23

This is why it is so important that Christians abandon pagan practices. Because of the abominations of the Catholic Church joining with pagan culture, and the fact that Catholicism claims to be "Christian," the world has now gotten the impression that the Bible is just another piece of mythology that was handed down by early sun worship.

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
-Exodus 20:7

When a man says "I am a Christian," he is taking on the name of Jesus Christ, claiming that he is a representative of God. How we live our lives is an example to the world of what God expects from mankind, and so as an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven, we need to be more careful about sending the wrong message. Just as someone claiming to be a queer and "Christian" at the same time sends a message that homosexuality is acceptable to God (and it certainly is not), so too someone celebrating Christmas sends a message that witchcraft and paganism is acceptable to God (and it certainly is not).

And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
-2 Chronicles 33:6

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
-Galatians 5:19-21

Abstain from all appearance of evil.
-1 Thessalonians 5:22

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
-1 Peter 2:11

So to summarize, Saturnalia/Yule is a celebration of the returning sun, and you will notice as we approach Dec 25th in the northern hemisphere, the length of time we see the sun during the day is shortened, but after the 21st, the sun slowly starts coming back, the days get longer. Pagans celebrate Tammuz/Nimrod's return as the sun god, and he is known by many names. This is true reason why we have a celebration on December 25th; it has absolutely nothing to do with the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"When one considers the tremendous impact the sun has on our day-to-day lives, it is easy to understand why the ancients felt it appropriate to commemorate this solar event. Modern medicine has determined that lack of sunlight can contribute to depressive disorders such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.), thus confirming the ancients' observation that the Winter Solstice is a great time for a really good party. More than any other, this sabbat is the easiest for recent initiates of Wicca to adjust to. This is because so much of the Christmas celebration has been taken directly from the practices of the ancient Pagans."
-A.J. Drew, Wicca for Men: A Handbook for Male Pagans Seeking a Spiritual Path, Citadel Press, 1998, p. 105, ISBN: 9780806520230

Without getting into a long discussion about modern "medicine," (i.e. psychiatry) and the deception going on in that area, it is ludicrous to think that you have a disorder if you don't practice paganism, which is exactly what this author is implying. According to this neopagan author, Christmas is the easiest witches' sabbat to participate in because we are already used to the paganism and witchcraft involved in the celebration.

Children are trained in the way of the heathen every day. 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. -Jeremiah 10:2

Every year, millions of babies are born to families who teach them to love and adore Christmas, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, and all the pagan decorations to go along with it, thereby teaching them the way of the heathen. I understand that many Christians have done this in ignorance, but let's do what the Lord would have us to do; analyze the aspects of Christmas very closely, learn the truth about them, and purge the leaven from the Church of Jesus Christ.

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
-1 Corinthians 5:6-7

Let's begin with the Christmas tree, probably the most famous symbol for this pagan holiday.

"The relatively modern tradition of decorating the Christmas tree is a custom which evolved from the pine groves associated with the Great Mother Goddess. The lights and ornaments hung on the tree as decorations are actually symbols of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the Cosmic Tree of Life. They also represent departed souls who are remembered at the end of the year. Sacred presents (which evolved into modern day Christmas gifts) were also hung on the tree as offerings to various deities such as Attis and Dionysus." -Gerina Dunwich, Wicca Craft: The Modern Witches Book of Herbs, Magick and Dreams, Citadel Press, 1991, p. 35-36, ISBN: 9780806512389 As a side note, I should mention that this "Cosmic Tree of Life," is the same as the one called "Yggdrasill," which we discussed in the article on fantasy novels and the occult.

J.R.R. Tolkien's study into pagan religious beliefs was the foundation of knowledge from whence he created The Lord of the Rings books, and they are now used as occult training tools for witch covens.

"One of the few things that all Wiccans seem to agree on is that our religion is either based on ancient Pagan fertility religions or is itself a descendant of those same religions... Some practices have survived more or less intact since before the Church State's rule... Consider the Christmas tree, which many of today's Christian churches forbid due to its Pagan origins."
-A.J. Drew, Wicca for Couples: Making Magick Together, Career Press, 2002, p. 32, ISBN: 9781564146205

The above author is a male witch, and I don't know about his personal experiences, but I know that I was raised in Christian churches, and I can tell you from first-hand experience that all the churches I attended had Christmas trees setup in their church. The pastors of these churches never once preached on the pagan origins of these things, nor ever once revealed the truth about any aspects of Christmas; on the contrary, they instead encouraged the Christmas celebration through pageants, plays, and song. The "Church State's rule" he mentioned is referring to the Catholic Church, and their adoption and merging of paganism into their religious practices, and the Body of Jesus Christ has carried on those pagan traditions in ignorance.

We just quoted Jeremiah 10:2, but let's look closer at it and see what we find:

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. 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 axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
-Jeremiah 10:2-4

The Bible describes a tradition of heathen in decorating a tree, just as our nation does today, and that the servants of the Lord are not to learn their ways. The Christmas tree originated from the "Yule log."
"The Yule log in the fireplace symbolizes the death of the old year and the birth of the new year; it also represents the old tradition of the rebirth of the sun."
-D.J. Conway, The Big Little Book of Magick: A Wiccan's Guide to Altars, Candles, Pendulums, and Healing Spells, Random House LLC, 2010, p. 101, ISBN: 9781580911993

The rebirth of the sun is focused on worshiping the sun god and his rebirth. The following author is a pagan witch that describes the Yule log tradition:

"Whatever your tradition, the Yule log embodies the spirit of the Sun God and the warmth to come. Today the Yule log is usually a smaller log drilled with three holes to fit the ritual candles. In the left hole, I like to use a red candle to symbolize our ancestors. In the center, I use a white candle to represent the renewed light. And on the right, I place a green candle to honor the never-ending cycles of nature and eternity.

All the candles represent the waxing forces of nature. I usually don't light the candles until Solstice Eve."
-Ed Day, Llewellyn's 2014 Sabbats Almanac: Samhain 2013 to Mabon 2014, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2013, p. 56, ISBN: 9780738731971

Christmas Lights: Rebirth of the Sun God I'm not saying light is evil, because many people will attack me for writing about this issue, but the tradition of Christmas lights comes from pagan origin. The lights on the Christmas tree were originally candles, and those candles came from the tradition of placing certain colors of candles on the pagan Yule log. "The sun God returns at winter solstice, and the foundation of the modern celebration of Christmas can be traced to ancient Yuletide traditions. Decorating an evergreen, burning a Yule log, singing carols, hanging lights--all were Pagan Yuletide customs." -Jennifer Hunter, 21st Century Wicca: A Young Witch's Guide to Living the Magical Life, Citadel Press, 1997, p. 63-64, ISBN: 9780806518879 "With the Yule Log the Yule Candle was closely associated. 'On the night of Christmas Eve... our ancestors were wont to light up candles of an uncommon size, called Christmas Candles, and lay a log of wood upon the fire called a Yule Log, or Christmas block, to illuminate the house, and, as it were, to turn night into day.'" -The Mentor: A Wise and Faithful Guide and Friend, Issue 134-135, Associated Newspaper School, 1917, p. 72 After electricity and light bulbs became cheap and commonly avialable, the pagan tradition lighting up the night in honor of the sun god was much easier to accomplish. Yule logs and Yule candles go together just like Christmas trees and Christmas lights. "Several Yule or Christmas customs also use the sacred flame, although we have forgotten much of the significance behind these seasonal rituals. The lights on the modern Christmas tree have replaced the candles once used to signify rebirth. The electric light in the window was at one time a candle that helped departed loved ones return to join in the festivities." -D.J. Conway, The Big Little Book of Magick: A Wiccan's Guide to Altars, Candles, Pendulums, and Healing Spells, Random House LLC, 2010, p. 100-101, ISBN: 9781580911993 The Christmas lights in general are a collective worship of the sun god, and specifically the "Great Mother" who births him: "The Lesser Sabbat of Yule marks the Winter Solstice: the longest night of the year. It is a festival of light commemorating the Goddess as Mother giving birth (once again) to the Sun God." -Kerr Cuhulain, Full Contact Magick: A Book of Shadows for the Wiccan Warrior, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2002, p. 249, ISBN: 9780738702544 In summary, the lights represent the sun god, mother goddess, and the cosmic tree of life. The lights put in your windows (which has evolved to covering houses and property) are direct invitations for others to join in the pagan worship of the sun.

Ever heard the phrase "Yule-tide greetings?" That's referring to the pagan celebration of Yule. As we continue reading about the Yule log (worship of the sun god), notice the similarities to the Christmas tree:
"You may set your Yule log on your altar in your living room or ritual space early to enjoy it throughout the season. In a separate holder in front of the Yule log, I place a gold candle to represent the Sun/Sun God. Surround your Yule log with seasonal items. These may include holiday greenery: pine, holly, boxwood, ivy, and mistletoe. Pine cones, star shapes, or ornaments are also nice. Elf figures would be good to use as a connection to the fairy realm, and reindeer figures could represent the Horned One. Above all, include items that have meaning to you."
-Ed Day, Llewellyn's 2014 Sabbats Almanac: Samhain 2013 to Mabon 2014, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2013, p. 56, ISBN: 9780738731971

In this article on fantasy novels and the occult, it is discussed how the elves are actually demonic spirits that witches call out to in their incantations, but who is the Horned One this author just mentioned? This is a god of the forest and nature, and even though witches don't believe in Satan, these are demonic entities. The Horned One is known by a number of names, but one of them is "Pan," the god that the infamous Satanist Aleister Crowley worshiped, and the reindeer you have in your home are symbols of this demonic god. (We'll discuss more on this later.) (Read "What's Wrong With Christian Rock?" for more information on Crowley)

Aside from the Christmas tree, almost all the decorations people are used to seeing around Christmas time are pulled from witchcraft:
"HOLLY TREE (Ilex aquifolium) is a symbol of good will and is associated with sun gods. In Rome the holly was sacred to Saturn and was employed in the rites of the Saturnalia, where it was a symbol of health and happiness. The holly is an evergreen and therefore is associated with the sun god."
-Raven Grimassi, Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2000, p. 219, ISBN: 9781567182576

The "happiness" factor is key in understanding what the Saturnalia/Yule celebration really entailed. In Rome, many laws were suspended during the week-long celebration so that people could do whatever they pleased:
"The golden age embodied in such days of freedom from the law are at the basis of the Roman carnivalesque festival of Saturnalia, with its suspension of the law, its mockery of authority, its inversion of social roles and its religious dedication to the pleasures of the flesh."
-S. Donger & S. Shepherd, ORLAN: A Hybrid Body of Artworks, Routledge, 2010, p. 76, ISBN: 9780203851708

But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities... But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption... Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
-2 Peter 2:10-14

We cover the Romans 13 issue in another article, about how the new-age church is teaching an unlimited submission to government that is unbiblical, but the fact is that the general concept of government and laws is good for us. It is good that theives and murderers are apprehended and punished, and that we are protected by courts of law for wrong-doing against us; what we hate is the unlawful governing rulers and anti-biblical government regulations. However, all government was done away with during the Saturnalia celebration.

"During the Saturnalia, society was turned upside-down: laws were suspended and the courts were closed, school was out, wars were even put on hold. Nobody worked during the reign of the Lord of Misrule. It was a carnival, party time, time for pranks and practical jokes, time to whoop it up."
-Barbara Ardinger, A Woman's Books of Rituals and Celebrations, New World Library, 2011, ISBN: 9781608681389

Let's take a closer look to see what kind of "whooping" the people were doing:
"[T]he saturnalia and like feasts, in which interdictions are lifted, are cited as the classic illustrations of the armed truce existing between traditional rule and orgiastic manifestation. At these peculiar times--days marking a stark discontinuity in the traditional calender--taboos and interdictions are upturned and the primordial powers of chaos may be unleashed (with various degrees of permissiveness). Anthropologists and historians have reported the savage violence that explodes in such intervals: social order is momentarily suspended, divisions are erased, and, in random order, the desire for intoxication, murder, beatings, rape, theft, ransacking, and promiscuousness is liberally indulged."
-G.G. Preparata, The Ideology of Tyranny, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011, ISBN: 9780230368842

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God... For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
-2 Timothy 3:1-6

"All the crimes which fill our prisons stalk abroad, plaited with the soldier's garb, and unwhipt of justice. Murder, robbery, rape, arson, theft, are the sports of this fiendish Saturnalia,"
-Convers Francis, A Discourse Delivered at Plymouth, Mass. Dec 22, 1832, Allen Danforth, 1832, p. 10

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
-1 John 2:16

During this Saturnalia celebration, orgies, rape, murder, theft, destruction, etc, were all very common, and this is the origin of the Christmas celebration we have today. Pagan songs are traditionally sung at the celebration of Yule in honor of the sun god, and we still sing them today, honoring a celebration where everyone would forget law and responsibility, and just focus on doing whatever they wanted to do to feel pleasured:

DECK THE HALLS Deck the hall with boughs of holly (sun god symbol) Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la 'Tis the season to be jolly Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la Don we now our gay apparel (gay meaning 'happy') Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la Sing the ancient Yule-tide carol See the blazing Yule before us (lighting Yule log) Strike the harp and join the chorus Follow me in merry measure While I tell of Yule-tide treasure

Despite the fact this song is giving worship to a pagan sun god celebration, we have Christian music artists (and "Christian" rock artists) making music tracks of this song. Some examples: Relient K, Tenth Avenue North, A Cappella Singers (Ronald Boender), ReGeneration (Derric Johnson), Amy Grant, Tom Fettke, and many more. Where is the discernment of our generation to see the abomination of these things?

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
-Hebrews 5:14

I can already hear the Christian excuses: "But we put a star for the wise men on our tree," or "We put an angel on our tree," or "The tree really means Jesus to us," or "But our tradition is slightly different." Christ said:

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
-Matthew 7:18

Christians do not take this as seriously as the Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles did. Let's say you see a satanic alter, with pentagrams and goat heads, but you put a "I love Jesus" sticker on it -- does it become good automatically because the name 'Jesus' was put on it? We can't slap a "Jesus" label onto paganism and call it good, but this is exactly what Christians are doing with Christmas.

The reason I use this analogy is because it's easy for a Christian to see the evil in a Satanic altar, and so too I want them to understand that a Christmas tree is just as evil, but they are deceived by its beauty. The Bible says that Satan was also beautiful and bright, and many are deceived by appearance.

Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
-Ezekiel 28:17

Many Christians are judging by the eye, instead of judging by the spirit. They are judging by beauty, instead of judging by truth, and therefore, they make the grave error of calling evil "good."

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
-John 7:24

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

-Isaiah 5:20

The fact of the matter is that a witch's sabbat brings forth fruit of occult mysticism, even if you don't intend for it to do so. Devils do not play favorites.
"For those who practice Wicca, these Sabbats are more than just a change of season and weather; they are a reflection of the cyclic processes of life, death, and rebirth. Frequently, they trigger a response deep within the mind of the believer that leaves a lasting spiritual impression. From a mystical perspective, they provide the practitioner with a time to reconnect with Nature and the forces that maintain the momentum of the universe, the God, and the Goddess."
-Lady Sabrina, Celebrating Wiccan Spirituality: Spells, Sacred Rites, and Folklore for Each Day of the Year, Career Press, 2002, p. 285, ISBN: 9781564145932

Christmas vs X-mas When I was young, I remember the hearing Christians talk about how sad/sickening/offensive it was for people to put up signs and lights that said "X-mas." I remember being in churches where Christians were upset that they were "taking Christ out of Christmas," but as we have seen thus far, Christmas has nothing to do with the Lord Jesus Christ. For the past couple hundred years in America, most Christians have celebrated the Christmas tradition in ignorance that it is an abomination of the Catholic Church merging pagan witchcraft into their "holy" days. Though many have started the "X-mas" signs as a more atheistic approach to the holiday, the hilarious part is that even atheists, by participating in the celebration of Christmas, are honoring pagan gods and goddesses, of which they claim a lack of belief. After thoroughly researching this topic, with the understanding that Jesus Christ has nothing to do with this pagan tradition, I personally believe that "X-mas" is a more fitting title. Those Christians I have heard so many times trying to say "let's put the 'Christ' back in Christmas," are blind to the fact that Christ was never in Christmas from the beginning, and if they would spend less time fussing over their pagan love, and more time focusing on the sharing the Gospel doctrines of Jesus, we could get a lot more accomplished. Answers in Genesis, to give a popular example, is an organization that holds Christmas celebrations in their museums. On their website, they state: "As our culture has continued to build its worldview on fallible human reason more than the holy Word of God, the culture has reflected that view in its celebration of holidays. Christianity is no longer the dominant influence in society because the Bible’s history, starting with Genesis, has been attacked. In other words, the removal of Christ our Savior from Christmas began with the attack on the Word of Christ our Creator. Let us focus, not on the secular celebration of these holidays, but on the Christian meaning and purpose behind the traditions." -Todd Hillard, "Happy Holidays: How Did We Get to This?" Answers in Genesis, Aug 31, 2006, retrieved Dec 10, 2013, [http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v1/n2/happy-holidays] Answers in Genesis, like most Christians today, believes that the Christmas has fallen away from Christian roots, but the truth is that Christians are trying to draw away Christmas from pagan roots! However, Christmas is a big-time money-making season for Answers in Genesis, especially in their museums, so research and acknowledgement that Christ has never been a part of Christmas from its inception is not something that Ken Ham & friends would ever be willing to consider, especially when many of their customers are Catholic. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. -1 Timothy 6:10

As we quoted earlier, a pagan author talked about his Wiccan family and traditions of hanging ornaments that represented pagan concepts, and this also applies to those glass bulbs ornaments we commonly see. It is because over the centuries, Christians have allowed evil to be called "good" that these things have evolved and been kept in our homes from ancient times until now:

"WITCH BALL is a glass sphere, typically green, blue, or purple, that is used as a protection. Sometimes the sphere contains glass strains extending across the diameter, loose pins, or other items inisde the ball. These items are said to trap negative energy inside the ball. Witch balls are usually hung in a window, either the bedroom or living room. The sphere is often the size of a softball, but larger ones were common in the late nineteenth century. Some Witches have suggested that the ornaments hung on the Yule/Christmas tree evolved from the Witch ball."

-Raven Grimassi, Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2000, p. 450, ISBN: 9781567182576; Drawing image from the same source.

"Witch Ball - An 18th century tradition; a glass sphere hung in windows to ward off evil spirits. This is where the Christian concept of the Christmas tree ornament came from."
-Erik Ravenswood, The Dictionary of Wicca, Witchcraft and Magick, Booktango, 2013, ISBN: 9781468927320

I know there will be many Christians who will read this, and still make excuses to keep these ornaments in their homes during the month of December, but I repeat that God's Word tells us we should purge the leaven from our homes. Just like one bad apple will eventually ruin the whole barrel, so a little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
-1 Corinthians 5:7

The red and green colors used primarily during Christmas time is due to the symbolism they have in witchcraft:
"There are symbols, specialized tools and colors associated with each Sabbat that can also be used to create the Sabbat rites... Yule: The colors are green and red. A wheel symbol (which can easily be made from a wreath or a wreath form; use your imagination); evergreens, Yule log, small tree (potted)."
-Scott Cunningham, Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practioner, Llewellyn Worldwide, 1993, p. 120, ISBN: 9780875421841

The wreath just mentioned in the last quote, so commonly seen on the doors and windows of homes, has specific meaning in witchcraft:
"Wreaths of evergreen, ivy, holly, and mistletoe are also commonly used in Wiccan Yule rituals... The circular shape of the wreath recalls the cycle of the seasons and the cycle of life. Once the wreath has been blessed by its inclusion in the ritual, hang it on your door or in your window or wherever it may extend its blessings to the rest of your property or personal space."
-Scott Cunningham, Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practioner, Llewellyn Worldwide, 1993, p. 120, ISBN: 9780875421841

There is much more surprising witch symbolism in the wreath than most Christians are aware of:
"Wreaths can be made of materials easily found in nature, or can be bought ready-made in craft stores and other places that sell seasonal decorations. Or you can make your own unique Yule wreath out of wire, pine cones, and artificial fruit. Pine cones are frequently seen as decorations at Yule because they are representative of male fertility. Most fruits--especially apples--are symbols of the Goddess. Creating a wreath out of them makes a complete symbol of the union of deity--the God (the pine cones) fertilizing the Goddess (the fruit) on the Wheel of the Year (the wreath)."
-Edain McCoy, Sabbats: A Witch's Approach to Living the Old Ways, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2002, p. 56, ISBN: 9781567186635

"The wreath is a typical Yule decoration, representing the Wheel of the Year. It is usually made of holly interspersed with pine cones representing the God, and either fruit or small seashells representing the Goddess. The Celts decorated evergreen trees with nuts, fruits, coins, and occasionally candles. The evergreen tree, holly, ivy, and mistletoe were important plants of the season, each in its own way symbolizing fertility and everlasting life." -Gary Cantrell, Wiccan Beliefs & Practices: With Rituals for Solitaries & Covens, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2001, p. 93, ISBN: 9781567181128

To summarize, the Christmas wreath is a symbol of pagan witch's "Wheel of the Year," which shows all the sabbats they celebrate in worship of the sun and its position in the sky. The fruit (berries, orange slices, apples, etc) is the vaginal symbol of their feminine goddess, and the pine cones represent the phallic symbol of the masculine god. Together, the wreath forms the representation of the sexual intercourse between witch's gods and goddesses thoughout their pagan year, and congregations all over the country (and world) hang these pagan sexual symbols all around their churches and homes.

"Santa Claus" is another famous symbol of paganism that is leavening Christian homes around the world:

"[T]he modern personification of the Christmas spirit known as Santa Claus was at one time the Pagan god of Yule. To the Scandinavians, he was once known as 'Christ on the Wheel,' an ancient Norse title for the Sun God who was reborn at the time of the Winter Solstice." -Gerina Dunwich, Wicca Craft: The Modern Witches Book of Herbs, Magick and Dreams, Citadel Press, 1991, p. 36, ISBN: 9780806512389 It is common among Christians who understand these concepts to refer to Santa Claus as "Satan Claus," and that is because Santa represents many names of pagan gods. Remember earlier we mentioned holly being sacred to witches, and Santa Claus is often referred to as the "Holly King." "HOLLY KING is a symbol of the waning forces of Nature... The Holly King is depicted as an old man in winter garb. His head bears a wreath of holly and he often carries a staff that is typically a holly branch. Some Santa Claus figures are actually Holly King figures." -Raven Grimassi, Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2000, p. 219, ISBN: 9781567182576

The following author is a pagan spiritist "healer," that uses witchcraft and mystic shamanism, and is an award-winning practitioner who is considered one of the top experts on witchcraft. Let's look closely as we see all these concepts connected in his section on Yule:
"Yule--Winter Solstice... Ritual Theme: Rebirth of the Sun God, return of the old God to the Underworld... Lunar Correspondence: Dark of the Moon, Deities: Solar Child, Sun King, Great Mother, Underworld/Horned God, Oak King & Holly King, Saturn/Chronos, Bel, Mabon, Pryderi, Taliesin, Cerridwen, Balder, Apollo, Horus, Set, Altar: Evergreen decorations, pine cones, oak, holly, mistletoe, white candles, Colors: Red, green, white, black, Herbs: Herbs of Saturn, Capicorn, and the Sun. Traditional herbs include holly, mistletoe, pine, oak fir birch, chamomile, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh, wintergreen, nutmeg, clove, ivy, blessed thistle, hyssop, and rosemary." [bold in original]
-Christopher Penczak, The Outer Temple of Witchcraft: Circles, Spells, and Rituals, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2004, p. 365, ISBN: 9780738705316

Did you know that the traditional Christmas tree decorations are the same used as the altar to the gods and goddesses of witchcraft? When you put up a Christmas tree, you are putting up an altar to the pagan god of the sun!

Now we can begin to see the webbed connection between much of the occult symbolism in Christmas decorations and stories. The Holly King (Santa Claus) is one name of the pagan god worshiped under the guise of the sun king/solar child. This draws a direct connection between Tammuz to Santa Claus, and Santa to "The Horned One," which is also known as 'Pan', the god of the Satanist covens.

"Some Witches and other Pagans refer to the masculine aspect of God as the Horned God or the Horned One... Cernunnos, the Celtic horned God (indeed, his name means 'horned one') is depicted as a Lord of the forest and the animals. In a similar way, the Greek God Pan is depicted as having horns and goat-like legs and feet. Like Cernunnos, Pan is seen as a God of nature and of wild beasts." -Carl McColman, When Someone You Love Is Wiccan: A Guide to Witchcraft and Paganism for Concerned Friends, Career Press, 2002, p. 99, ISBN: 9781564146229 The reindeer you see everywhere at Christmas time are actually a symbolic representation of this pagan god.

"In some traditions, the God is viewed as a child, and the Universal Mother gives birth to the young Sun King. Others see the God of Light, as the Oak King, rise up out of the Underworld and combat the God of Darkness, the Horned God or Holly King, and take his place as ruler for half of the year."
-Christopher Penczak, The Outer Temple of Witchcraft: Circles, Spells, and Rituals, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2004, p. 365, ISBN: 9780738705316

Though there are different views on this within the Wiccan world, Santa Claus (Holly King) is labled with the Horned God of darkness. Please understand, when I, and other Christians, refer to "Santa Claus" as "SATAN Claus," we are not doing it to try and be funny. We literally mean that Satan is represented in the form of Santa Claus, and this is well-understood by those Christians who have looked into the witchcraft origins of Christmas. Though most witches don't believe in Satan, he is still the father of lies, so they don't have to believe in him to worship him in ignorance, and because we know the truth of the Devil's deception, we know what these gods and goddesses truly represent.

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
-Ephesians 5:8-14

Santa drives a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer, and the number is significant in paganism:
"Eight reindeer represent both the number of sabbats and an animal sacred to the Celtic and Italian custom. The sleigh refers to the Germanic custom against using the wheel on this night. And gift giving is a Druidic practice during Yule."
-Bruce K. Wilborn, Witches' Craft: A Multidenominational Wicca Bible, Skyhorse Publishing Inc, 2011, ISBN: 9781616084431

"The name Nicholas itself is not a mistake as it is rooted in the name 'Old Nick,' a reference to Nik (also Woden), who is an old Scandinavian Holly-King god. The myths of Nik describe him flying on the back of a horse through the night sky instead of being pulled by the familiar reindeer (animals which are, incidentally, another symbol for the pagan horned god.)"
-Timothy Roderick, Wicca: A Year and a DAy - 366 Days of Spiritual Practice in the Craft of the Wise, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2005, p. 66, ISBN: 9780738706214

Woden (also Nik) is another name for Odin, which many more people are familiar with in Norse mythology. Odin road a flying horse that had eight legs, and just like the Holly-King (Horned-One) god of darkness and underworld, so too Odin is a Wiccan symbol of underworld. (Also notice how the "World-Tree" is his symbol, which is also what the Christmas tree represents, and the runes, which are supposed to be the mystical knowledge of spellcraft giving to humans by their gods via this tree.)
"Odin Symbols: The World-Tree, the spear, and the runes, Tools: Living trees, the runes... Odin is the Norse god of the universe, of magic and poetic vision. He is also lord of the dead and an archtypal underworld figure."
-Timothy Roderick, Wicca: A Year and a DAy - 366 Days of Spiritual Practice in the Craft of the Wise, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2005, p. 345, ISBN: 9780738706214


When Christians set up Santa Claus displays or figurines, they are actually setting up representations of the gods of the underworld, and the reindeer in representation of the Horned God and the witch's sabbats, all of which are Satanic when you boil it down.

The now-popular poem, "Twas the Night Before Christmas," written in 1823, is one of the key factors in the connection between pagan tradition as it was in the 18th century, and "Santa" as we know it to be today. The fat "jolly" Santa started out as a tiny elf; elves being the demonic entities from the 'fairie realm' witches call upon during some of their incantations.

"Although the poem, like Dickens' famous story, makes explicit references to 'Christmas,' it is otherwise fully pagan and is completely divorced from orthodox Christian tradition and theology. The relationship between the protagonist and the fourth-century saint is purely nominal. St. Nick has been transformed from a kindly bishop to a magical 'right jolly old elf' who is transported by a 'miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.' (Modern readers of the original poem have been so influenced by subsequent depictions of a robust and larger-than-life Santa Claus that they generally fail to note that the original in the poem was a tiny, elfin figure who was able to travel so easily through the chimney because his size was so small.)

...Although, like his successors, the 1823 St. Nick is rotund (albeit an elf), comes down through the chimney, and fills stockings with gifts, he is not yet dressed in red (but in fur), nor does he live at the North Pole... Although not yet named 'Santa Claus,' this magical, well-nourished St. Nick would soon be promoted by merchants in lieu of Jesus Christ, whose birthday they were ostensibly honoring." [ostensibly means 'supposedly']
-Derek Davis, The Oxford Handbook of Church and State in the United States, Oxford Handbooks Online, 2010, p. 287-288, ISBN: 9780195326246

As we can see, almost every microscopic detail surrounding Christmas has been drawn from pagan ritual. In essence, today's version of Santa Claus could be considered a "Mr. Potato-Head" god, representing the sun gods and gods of the underworld, pieced together from many pagan beliefs to form a Catholic-drenched, money-making tradition that is every commercial business's dream.

Lying Parents: Christians Setting Unbiblical Examples Parents (and the general public) are LYING to their children, and many TV shows like Mircale on 34th Street tend to demonize parents who don't lie to their young boys and girls. In the movie, the mother of the young girl is portrayed as horrible person for telling her daughter the truth about Santa Claus, and the daughter is then portrayed as some emotionless drone because of it, all the while, the "heroic" faith-driven man tries to get her daughter to believe in the lie, but the young girl seems to have more sense, reason, and discernment than the adults around her! Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. -Psalm 120:2 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. -John 8:44  (Clip from Miracle on 34th Street; Girl doesn't believe in Santa) @0:12 - GIRL: "This seems like a pretty pointless exercise Brian." BRIAN: "I know, but I just thought as long as we were here, might as well stop by and say hello to the old guy. Look at him." GIRL: "Why?" BRIAN: "Well let's just say for the sake of argument that there is a Santa Claus, and that you don't believe in him. Is it worth the risk that you might not get anything for Christmas this year?" (Notice how they bait children into belief in the lie based on their coveting desire for material things.) GIRL: "Well I didn't believe in him last year and I still got everything I asked my mother for." BRIAN: "Yeah... *speechless*" What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. -Romans 7:7 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; -Colossians 3:9 Surprisingly, one of the worst traditions I see in Christmas is the giving of gifts with children. Children are seeking to be on their best behavior this time of year, but they are doing so out of covetousness for material things, and in honor of a fictional character who is the symbol of the very same gods that Satanic witches worship. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. -Hebrews 13:5 Go to a shopping center on "Black Friday," the biggest Christmas shopping day of the year, and you tell me what lesson children are learning. Are our children learning to be content with what they have? (Fighting and arrests over TVs at a Walmart on Black Friday) And Christians are allowing themselves to be made into merchandise; buying up needless material things in response to the increase of commercial advertising. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. -2 Peter 2:2-3 Are children being well-behaved and obedient to their parents because that's what the Lord God expects of them (thereby being obedient to God), or are they being well-behaved and obedient to their parents so they can get stuff they want from a pagan god (thereby being obedient to Satan)? Parents are not only being encouraged to lie to their children, but they think a child's belief in paganism is NECESSARY! The following quotation is a "ParentLine" Q&A section from Child and Family Services, a 501c3 (and supposedly "Christian") organization, who are telling parents how they can build "faith" in their children to believe lies: "Dear ParentLine, Our oldest son, age 12, just told his little brother, age 7, that Santa doesn’t exist. Of course, we’re upset about that because we wanted the little one’s belief in magic and miracles to last longer, but as it is, he cried and said, 'He does too exist!' I don’t know if we can salvage his faith. Please help." -Child and Family Services, "ParentLine," letter from Southern NH, retrieved Dec 5, 2013, [http://cfsnh.org/pages/programs/parentline/santa.html] Why would any parent want to desperately build up a child's faith in a lie? One thing's for certain: Lying doesn't help a child to trust his/her parents. A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin. -Proverbs 26:28 The Bible says that if you lie to someone, you HATE the one affected by the lie. Many Christians will object to this, claiming that they don't hate their children, but I ask those Christians, "Are you calling God a liar?" I don't care what a Christian says about his/her children; the Bible says if you lie to your children, then you hate them. (Read "Is It Okay For Christians To Lie?" for more details.) Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight. -Proverbs 12:22 A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. -Proverbs 13:5 In the situation the of the NH parent writing the letter, the 12-year-old boy was most likely trying to use his knowledge of the truth to hurt his younger brother, rather than telling him the truth for the benefit of him knowing the truth, and for that he should be scolded/punished. But first, if the parents hadn't lied to begin with, they wouldn't have given the 12-year-old ammunition to hurt his brother, and second, the faith of a Christian is not founded in magic, miracles, and Santa, it is founded on the Lord Jesus Christ to save us from the wrath to come. We might find that it is easier to teach children the truth of God's Word when we stop lying to them about paganism, but that's not what CFS tells parents. "As for your little guy, ParentLine hopes you gave him a big hug and told him, 'Good for you.' His willingness to believe despite the Grinch's attempt to steal his Christmas this year says 'Yes,' he still wants to believe. Chris Van Allsburg, author of The Polar Express, says that 'believing in Santa is not just a passing phase, but a real necessity for kids in this age.' Allsburg says that his book was about his own feelings when he was 8 or 9, and though he wasn't consciously writing about those feelings and beliefs, he ended up writing about a time that did bring him a lot of joy and happiness. This year, why not start a holiday tradition and read The Polar Express or watch a Christmas chestnut of a movie... Use the books and movies to spark discussion about magic and miracles." -Child and Family Services, "ParentLine," letter from Southern NH, retrieved Dec 5, 2013, [http://cfsnh.org/pages/programs/parentline/santa.html] But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. -1 Timothy 4:7 Even though punishment was due to the 12-year-old for trying to hurt his brother out of spite, the encouragement should have also gone to the older brother for telling the truth. Giving the encouragement to the younger brother sends a message that not only is it acceptable to lie, and believe in lies, but that telling the truth is wrong. Children grow up to be adults who believe that lies are acceptable so long as you make someone smile, but they have been trained to turn away from the truth for the sake of entertainment, thereby seeing God's Word as dull and judgmental, and abandoning the Bible for the lust of the flesh. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. -2 Timothy 4:3-5 CFS, as well as most organizations and companies in the U.S., are encouraging parents to lie to their children, and to turn them to fables instead of sound doctrine. The craze for fiction is greater today than its ever been before, and pagan Christmas fables are no exception. (Read "Fantasy Novels: Invitations to Hell" for more details.) Miracle on 34th Street asks the question: "What's better: The lie that draws a smile, or the truth that draws a tear?" The proper, Biblical answer is that if you don't lie to your children in the first place, there will be no tears later when they discover that you're a liar and you can't be trusted. If you're a Christian, the Biblical thing to do would be to tell your children the truth, show them the Bible verses about forgiveness, and ask them to forgive you for lying to them; so perhaps instead of giving examples to children of lies, you will give them an example of humility, repentance, and forgiveness. So instead of parenting based on how your child might feel, we can acknowledge that we have a responsibility to teach truth and righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then ask what's better: The lie that teaches deception, or the truth that teaches honesty?

Further investigation reveals more traditions of Christmas that are founded in witchcraft: "Traditional Christmas celebrations mimic the ancient pagan customs of Yule. Since so many cultures see this time as the birth of the god of light, the Christian church [i.e. Catholicism] moved the celebration of Jesus' birthday closer to the solstice. Evergreen trees are decorated to show the promise of the Goddess and God to preserve life, as the trees are green even in the winter months... Many of the yuletide drinks are like pagan potions of solor energy, to warm you in the winter." -Christopher Penczak, The Outer Temple of Witchcraft: Circles, Spells, and Rituals, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2004, p. 366, ISBN: 9780738705316

Most Christians will think it unbelievable that their warm drinks at Christmas time are actually witches' brews, but it's true. Eggnog is a famous one, and is actually found in multiple Wicca spellbooks, recommending use of specific herb symbols (like nutmeg and cinnamon), and giving Yuletide (Winter Solstice) as the time of year in which to drink it. (See Gerina Dunwich, The Wicca Spellbook, Citadel Press, 1994, p. 168, ISBN: 9780806514765

"Most Pagans already know that Yule celebrates the rebirth of the Sun/Son and the return to lengthening days again. Most also know that many (dar we say, most) popular Christmas traditions like the Yule log, the tree, wassailing, eggnog, etc, are actually Pagan traditions that have carried over." -Angelica Barbateiu, Sacred Earth Journal Anthology: Being a Collection of Wiccan Church, Church of the Sacred Earth, 1998 "Wassail mixes can make this tradition favorite suitable for Yule. Good old eggnog is a favorite for a night of Yule caroling and fire gazing... and a host of liquors and cordials to please even the pickiest of deity." -Llewellyn, 2005 Wicca Almanac, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2005, p. 19, ISBN: 9780738703084 More recently, warm drinks like hot cocoa have been used during Christmas time because cocoa has become more easily accessible, but hot apple cider was much more readily available prior to the last 100 years. Cinnamon would be used in these drinks, not just for the taste, but because it was one of the pagan symbols of the sun and fertility in witchcraft (as we quoted earlier). Apples were used not only for their commonplace nature, but also because they were the symbol of the goddess and underworld in witchcraft, and from all this is where we get wassailing.

wassail (v): to revel with drinking; to drink to the health of; toast (See 'wassail', Random House Dictionary, Random House Inc, 2013; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2009) revel (v): to make merry; indulge in boisterous festivities (See 'revel', Random House Dictionary, Random House Inc, 2013; See also Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition, William Collins Sons & Co, 2009)

Let's see what God's Word has to say about these revellings:

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. -Galatians 5:19-21

But revelling (wassailing) was always an important aspect of Yule: "Placing cakes in the boughs of the oldest apple trees in the orchard and pouring on cider as a libation was an old Pagan Yuletide custom practiced in England, and known as 'Wassailing the Orchard Trees.' It was said that the cider was a substitute for the human or animal blood offered in primitive times as part of a Winter Solstice fertility rite. After offering a toast to the health of the apple trees and giving thanks to them for producing fruit, the farmers would then enjoin the trees to continue producing abundantly." -Gerina Dunwich, Wicca Craft: The Modern Witches Book of Herbs, Magick and Dreams, Citadel Press, 1991, p. 36, ISBN: 9780806512389 Apple cider was often used in place of human blood when a human sacrifice was not available. This online witchcraft store talks about this concept as well: "Apples are considered symbols of life and immortality... Use apple cider in place of blood where it is called for in old recipes." -"Herbal Grimoire," Woodbine: Metaphysical Supplies & Apparel, retrieved Dec 2, 2013, [http://home.windstream.net/jajalo/woodbineherbalgrim.html] "Apple... The blossoms, fruit, and cider is used. Use for love, healing, and binding. Apple cider can be substituted for blood in rituals and spells. This is associated with Venus." -D.J. Conway, Wicca: The Complete Craft, Random House LLC, 2011, p. 368, ISBN: 9780307785893 Remember earlier where we pointed out that Venus was one of the names for Semiramis? All this connects together. I'm not saying that apple cider is evil, but the reason it is used so much at Christmas time is due to the witchcraft origins of this pagan holiday, and this was used primarily in wassailing as a substitute for blood sacrifice.

THE WASSAIL SONG Here we come a-wassailing Among the leaves so green, Here we come a-wand'ring So fair to be seen. Love and joy come to you, And to you your wassail, too, And God bless you, and send you A Happy New Year, And God send you a Happy New Year.

So notice the love and joy coming to them as they wassail; that is due to the witch's brew they have made that is supposed to bring love and joy. Not only that, but they are literally singing: Here we come getting drunk and toasting to our pagan gods!

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. -Proverbs 23:31 (This is talking about fermentation.) Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! -Habakkuk 2:15

(Claymation Christmas special; used to be shown every year on American TV; See how many pagan symbols you can point out in this short clip.)

In the video clip, you can see the elves drive in at the end with all their cider and mugs singing the wassail song. At the end, you'll notice the elf says that you sing carols and receive "cordial," which is alcohol. This tradition is still being carried on today.
(Photos by Bill Bradshaw, published by Hilary Osborne, "Wassailing the Cider Orchard," theguardian.com, Jan 21, 2010, retrieved Dec 7, 2013, [http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/jan/21/wassailing-cider-apple-orchard] "Singing to an apple tree to ensure a good harvest might seem to be bit of a strange business, but you can't risk the cider supply... The custom of wassailing dates back to pagan times but has enjoyed a minor resurgence in recent years as cider has regained popularity among drinkers... A wassail queen (or king) leads a parade to a tree, often the oldest in the orchard. When she gets there, she dips a piece of toast in some mulled cider which is lifted and placed in the boughs of the tree to attract favourable spirits. More mulled cider is then poured round the base of the tree, and evil spirits are scared away with loud noises -- sticks banged together, maybe even gunshots. Then the tree is serenaded by the crowd." -Hilary Osborne, "Wassailing the Cider Orchard," theguardian.com, Jan 21, 2010, retrieved Dec 7, 2013, [http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/jan/21/wassailing-cider-apple-orchard]

The reason they focus so much on apple trees is the same reason for focusing on bobbing for apples around Halloween. Apples are not evil, but paganism is. The apple, as we covered in the Halloween article, is the symbol for the Crone Goddess, they believe the 5-pointed witchcraft symbol is inside when you cut it in half, and they believe that it is food that is linked to the spirit world.

"Apples are sacred foods, associated with many ancient deities. Earlier peoples hung apples on Yule trees (the forerunners of the modern Christmas tree) to symbolize the continuing fertility of the earth." -Scott Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2012, p. 35, ISBN: 9780738717111; Read "Halloween: Are Christians Lovers of Death?" for more details
Today's tradition of "Christmas caroling" started with pagan wassailing.

Ever wondered why they have gingerbread around Christmas time? "Gingerbread is the modern version of ancient cakes made of grain and honey, which were offered as sacrifices to the goddesses and gods at Yule. These cakes were also buried with the dead to ensure the passage of their souls into the other world... Though ginger was once more expensive than diamonds, this spice is now easily within reach of us all." -Scott Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2012, p. 35-36, ISBN: 9780738717111

Ever wondered why they kiss under the mistletoe? "In the Norse traditions, mistletoe wood was the weapon to slay Balder, the Norse Sun god, signaling the start of the end of the world. His mother decreed that forever more the herb shall only be used in acts of love, starting the tradition of kissing under mistletoe." -Christopher Penczak, The Outer Temple of Witchcraft: Circles, Spells, and Rituals, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2004, p. 366, ISBN: 9780738705316

Ever wonder why they leave cookies for Santa?

"From Odin St. Nicholas inherited his gray horse, which in some Germanic countries he uses in his nightly rides, but which he traded for a reindeer before coming to America. For this horse of St. Nicholas, children in parts of Europe leave the hay and oats once left for the horse of Odin."

-George H. McKnight, St. Nicholas: His Legend and His Role in the Christmas Celebration and Other Popular Customs, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1917, p.138-139 Even the tropical poinsettia, a common decorative selection at Christmas, is one of the symbols used in building a pagan Yule alter:

"Yule Ritual Tools, Symbols, and Decorations - Altar Decorations: Red altar cloth; red or green altar candles, sprigs of holly tied with red and green ribbons; hayberry candle; poinsettia plant; wand tied with red and green ribbon; chalice covered with a gold cloth; red and white wine; ritual cakes." -Lady Sabrina, Celebrating Wiccan Spirituality: Spells, Sacred Rites, and Folklore for Each Day of the Year, Career Press, 2002, p. 285, ISBN: 9781564145932

"Besides the Christmas tree, the altar and Circle area are decorated using traditional trimmings of pine boughs, pinecones, mistletoe, and holly. Also, if at all possible, adding poinsettias to the altar arrangement is highly recommended. These plants display flowers in the God-color (red), bring living greenery to the rite (a symbol of the coming spring), and are aesthetically pleasing since they naturally brighten up the area." -Bruce K. Wilborn, Witches' Craft: A Multidenominational Wicca Bible, Skyhorse Publishing Inc, 2013, ISBN: 9781628732184 I'm not saying that having flowers in your home is evil. Most everything I have seen in the world has multiple purposes, and the Lord Jesus Christ created plants not only useful for harvesting, but many are also pleasing to the eye. There is nothing wrong with having a creation of the Lord God in your house, but if Christians will be HONEST about it, the reason they pull out poinsettas, holly, ivy, pine, mistletoe, and all the other typical decorations, is SPECIFICALLY for the Christmas celebration because you almost never see these decorations outside of the month of December, and that means we are doing these things in honor of the pagan gods of witchcraft, not because we are honoring the Lord Jesus Christ.

He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. -Matthew 12:30

Those that are promoting Christmas, even if it is done in ignorance, are not uniting the Church of Jesus Christ; they are scattering them abroad. In today's world, we are plagued with men and women who are false converts (i.e. those who believed they are saved Christians but in their hearts they are not), and many of them are deep lovers of pagan traditions, who are so attached to their warm, feel-good emotions at Christmas, they refuse to abandon paganism for the truth of Jesus Christ. And thus, they are bringing about confusion to the church, and the world in general by bringing in worldly inventions of false gods into the congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, leavening it with corruption.

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. -1 Corinthians 5:6 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. -1 John 2:15

Many will hate me for teaching the truth about this subject, but why do you think Christmas is so highly esteemed among men?

And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. -Luke 16:15 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. -John 15:19

I've already had some Christians asking me about the Nativity scenes that they put up, whether or not those have a pagan origin. The Nativity itself (i.e. Christ's birth via the virgin woman) is not pagan, but I would ask Christians to show me where in the New Testament that the Nativity was celebrated by observing a day for it. Again, we have a problem with Christians "observing days," which is condemned as weak, vanity in bondage according to the Word of God, and therefore, the apostles of Jesus Christ would have frowned upon such rituals.

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. -Galatians 4:9-11

Nativity really means "birthday," and I can't find a place where God's Word tells us that we should be celebrating birthdays. Increase Mather, a preacher during the reformation, points out that Christians have typically stayed away from such celebrations: "Against profane Christ-mass-keeping: In the apostalical times, the Feast of the Nativity was not observed. The very name of Christmas savours of superstition. It can never be proved that Christ was born on December 25. It is most probable that the nativity was in September. The New Testament allows of no stated Holy-day but the Lord's day... It was in compliance with the pagan Saturnalia that Christmass Holy-dayes were first invented. The manner of Christ-mass-keeping, as generally observed, is highly dishonourable to the name of Christ." -Increase Mather, Testimony Against Prophane Customs, University of Virgian Press, 1953, p. 36 By putting out a nativity scene in honor of the Christmas season, a Christian is connecting the birth of Jesus Christ to the pagan celebration of Yule, which honors the rebirth of the sun god and has nothing to do with Scripture. Worse still is that the depictions of the nativity of Jesus Christ end up teaching false concepts.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, -Matthew 2:1 Did you know that the Bible never says there were three wise men? We have no idea how many there were, but ask anyone on the street how many wise men there were that traveled to Bethlehem, and they'll answer "three" because that's what they see in the nativity displays. Christians often tend to take their teachings from Christmas displays, instead of the Word of God.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. -Matthew 2:11

The wise men are shown approaching the manger, but in the Bible, by the time the wise men appeared, Jesus was not in the manger, but in a house in Bethlehem. Joseph would have moved Mary and the baby to a proper living quarter after space became available. These are just a couple of the example of false teachings we adopt when we rely on graven images, rather than the Word of God.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: -Exodus 20:4

We worship the Lord Jesus Christ, and we should not be making graven images of Him. The Bible specifically points out that those who worship Him must do so in spirit, and there is nothing material involved outside of the ink and paper to read and study the Words of the Lord:

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. -John 4:24

But most Christians ignorantly sit back and allow themselves to believe that Christmas has always been accepted and celebrated by church congregations across the world for the past couple thousand years, but let's look at a sermon by Charles Spurgeon from 1871: "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 said or sung in Latin or in English; and, secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Saviour; and, consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority. Superstition has fixed most positively the day of our Saviour's birth, although there is no possibility of discovering when it occurred... Where is the method in the madness of the superstitious? Probably the fact is that the holy days were arranged to fit in with 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 Saviour was born, it is the twenty-fifth of December." -Charles Spurgeon, sermon given Dec 24, 1871, Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit: Sermons, Passmore & Alabaster, 1872, p. 697

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. -Acts 17:22

Many Christians would be surprised by this, but the battle to remove pagan traditions out of the true Church of Jesus Christ has been an on-going battle for the past 2,000 years. Christmas is no exception. Today, very few Christians have enough discerment to see wickedness in the Christmas celebration, and fewer still have the spiritual judgement to get rid of it.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. -1 Corinthians 2:15 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. -John 7:24

Where are all the Christians who will judge Christmas for what it is, and stand up for the truth against the world like Mather and Spurgeon did? More often than not, I have insults hurled at me by those who are lovers of Christmas, but in the end, the Bible says they are lovers pleasures more than lovers of God.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves... Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; -2 Timothy 3:1-4 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 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. -Colossians 2:6-8

After researching this topic, so many Christmas songs came to mind and made me sick to my stomach; knowing that I have listened to this wickedness openly in ignorance.

SILVER AND GOLD Silver and gold, silver and gold Ev'ryone wishes for silver and gold How do you measure its worth? Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth. Silver and gold, silver and gold Mean so much more when I see Silver and gold decorations On ev'ry Christmas tree. What's a Christmas tree without tinsel And pretty silver and gold decorations? Can't really call it a Christmas tree now, Can you? And think of all the fun and joy That would be lost on Christmas morning If all the young folks didn't get to see That sparkling happy tree.

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. 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 axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. -Jeremiah 10:2-4 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. -Psalm 135:15

For the next song, remember that "Noel" is French for "Christmas." They are trying to combine the pagan concept of Christmas with the Biblical account of the birth of the Lord Jesus.

THE FIRST NOEL The First Noel, the Angels did say Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay In fields where they lay keeping their sheep On a cold winter's night that was so deep. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel Born is the King of Israel!

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Everywhere you go; Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again With candy canes and silver lanes aglow. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Toys in every store But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be On your own front door.

We play these songs every year over the radio, in our homes, on the television, and we watch shows with all sorts of paganism, lies, and witchcraft involved.
(Intro to the Charlie Brown Christmas Special played on TV about every year. I used to watch this every year on TV when I was a child.)

 

Song: "Christmas time is here, Happiness and cheer, Fun for all that children call, Their favorite time of year; Snowflakes in the air, Carols everywhere, Olden times and ancient rhymes, Of love and dreams to share; Sleigh bells in the air, Beauty everywhere, Yuletide by the fireside, And joyful memories there" CHARLIE: "I think there must be something wrong with me Linus. Christmas is coming, but I'm not happy. I don't feel the way I'm supposed to feel. I just don't understand Christmas I guess. I like getting presents, sending Christmas cards, and decorating trees and all that, but I'm still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed." LINUS: "Charlie Brown, you're the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy's right: of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest."

Children will get the impression that Christmas does not cause any problems, that there's nothing wrong with it, and if you say otherwise, then you're just some loser like Charlie Brown. It teaches children that if you don't like Christmas, then you're just messed up somehow. This show also attempts to link Jesus Christ to the paganism of Christmas, and encourages the pagan traditions of the Christmas tree.

The fiction novelist and evolutionist, Dr. Seuss, has made sure the world would give a name to anyone who dares to question Christmas. It won't be long before people start labeling me a "grinch" for telling the truth about what this holiday really represents, but only way for them to feel justified in their actions and beliefs is to attack me personally. It's a "false dilemma" logical fallacy that says you're either for Christmas, or you're a grinch, but there is another option: Christmas is wickedness in the sight of God!

Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? -Galatians 4:16 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. -John 8:45

As a Christian, should we celebrate Christmas? I do not seek to tell any Christian what to do because that is a job for the Holy Spirit. Those Christians who read their Bibles and are convicted of the Holy Spirit should be getting some serious warnings going off in their minds. (I'd be very concerned if you are not getting warnings of your conscience about paganism and witchcraft.) I have a much better question I think Christians should be asking themselves:

Do my actions please the Lord Jesus Christ?

I know many Christians says, "To me it's about Jesus," but that is a response that holds a foundation of person feelings, rather than the Word of God. We cannot trust our own hearts over the Word of God.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? -Jeremiah 17:9

Pastors' Attempts to Justify Their Paganism I've read/heard a number of illogical arguments coming from pastors who are such extreme lovers of their pagan celebrations, they can't let them go. We will list a few of their arguments here, and point out the logical fallcies imployed to trick people into thinking their reasoning is sound. (The following are all real arguments I have seen from pastors attempting to justify Christmas.) I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: -Ecclesiastes 7:25 Pastoral Argument #1: We use pagan names, like Sunday, for the days of the week, and there is nothing wrong with that, therefore, our Christmas celebration is justified. This is called a "Conflation" fallacy, also known as "comparing apples to oranges." A sample of this type of argument would go like this: "Watermelons are green. Cabbage is green. Therefore, watermelons and cabbage are both fruit." That is not logical. It's true that the days of the week are labeled from pagan concepts, just as a Christmas tree is labeled from pagan concepts, but what needs to be questioned the ORIGIN of the subject matter. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. -Matthew 7:18 God created days, which means days have a GOOD origin, so according to the Bible, days don't automatically become evil because people slap a pagan label on them. On the other hand, the Christmas celebration was created by pagans (not by God), which means Christmas as an EVIL origin, so according to the Bible, Christmas doesn't automatically become good because people slap a "Jesus" label on it. The days of the week and the Christmas celebration can't be compared on the same level because they have two different creators. Pastoral Argument #2: I've heard some Jehovah's Witnesses saying that Christmas is evil, and they're founded in theological error, so therefore, the Christmas celebration is justified. This is called an "Association" fallacy, or some people know it as "guilt by association." A sample of this type of argument would go like this: "Beth's favorite movie is Star Wars. Jeffrey Dahmer's favorite movie is Star Wars. Therefore, Beth and Jeffrey Dahmer are both murderers." That is not logical. It is true that the Watch Tower Society does not celebrate Christmas because of its pagan origins, but just because they sit in error about the Salvation of Jesus Christ, it doesn't automatically mean they are wrong about Christmas. The Catholic Church teaches false doctrine on the salvation of Jesus Christ in the mass, but when a Catholic stands up and says that God created the world in six days, does it automatically mean he's wrong? Of course not. Islam teaches false doctrine about Jesus Christ and their Muhammad false prophet, but when a Muslim stands up and says that Abram begat Ishmael, does it automatically mean he's wrong? Of course not. We don't discern good and evil based on what a group of people might believe. It is possible for someone to be wrong on one issue, and right on another issue, so we have to discern good and evil based on what the Word of God says. Pastoral Argument #3: I used to teach Christmas is wrong, but I was being mean to people, so anyone who preaches against Christmas is just being mean. This is called a "false dichotomy," or some people know it as a "false dilemma." A sample of this type of argument would go like this: "Fifty percent of the class likes chocolate ice cream, and the other fifty percent likes vanilla. Which side are you on?" It is not logical to assume there are only two options. It is true that there are a number of people out there who may preach against Christmas out of some inner pious or contemptuous nature in their hearts, but that doesn't mean everyone who preaches against Christmas is doing it out of spite. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; -Titus 1:13 There are those of us who preach against pagan practices so that our brethren in Christ will be sound in the faith, and cleanse the church of Jesus Christ. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. -2 Timothy 2:21 (Sanctified means 'set apart'.) It is good to purge oneself from comptemptuous and pious actions, but we are not supposed to compromise the truth in the process.

I'm not telling Christians that having fun is wrong, but can you imagine what celebrations like this do to people on a spiritual level? Participation in wicked practices can invite seducing spirits into our lives, and eventually, can nullify our own conscience given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; -1 Timothy 4:1-2

(How many pagan symbols can you point out in this photograph? From: Northern Hills Christian Church, 2009) "The Rev. Fred Gilbert is the pastor of The Independent Methodist Church of New Castle, which describes itself as the most decorated church in Lawrence County. The church is filled with lights, wreaths and several Nativity scenes... 'I don't look at this as just decoration. This is something devotional. This is a shrine,' said the Rev. Fred Gilbert, the pastor, who has been collecting Nativity figures since childhood. His undergraduate degree in art gives him an eye for the displays, the decorated trees and garlands of silk poinsettias entwined with greenery, ribbon and lights." -Ann Rodgers, "Silk Poinsettias and Thousands of Figurines Fill New Castle Church," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dec 24, 2006, retrieved Dec 7, 2013, [www.post-gazette.com]; Reverend is an unbiblical title that a pastor should not have.
(Rev. Fred Gilbert, Independent Methodist Church of New Castle, PA) I agree with this pastor that it's a shrine, but not only is it a pagan shrine, no where in the New Testament are we given any instructions to build such shrines. We Christians ought to beware men who promote, support, and participate in Christmas events in the church like this. Some of these Christians may honestly be saved, dedicated Christians to the Lord Jesus Christ, and celebrate Christmas in ignorance (I used to be one of them), but we are still to beware of them because they are blinded to the truth.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, -Hosea 4:6 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. -James 5:19-20

I know it's hard to give up some things in this world, especially when we have pleasant childhood memories attached to them, but it forces us to ask the question: How committed are we to the Lord Jesus Christ? The more attached we are to this world, the less attached we are to the spiritual things of God, and by those childhood memories with our families, we end up loving our family time more than we love the Lord Jesus Christ.

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. -Matthew 10:37 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness... For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach. -1 Timothy 4:6-11

reproach (n): expression of disaproval mingled with contempt or derision; abusive reflections; shame; infamy; disgrace; object of contempt or scorn (See 'reproach', Noah Webster's Dicitonary, 1828, [1828.mshaffer.com])

If we share the truth of this information with the world, they will hate us. Many folks that profess to be a Christian will also hate us. But we suffer reproach, and labour in the Lord because we trust in the living God, and we rebuke men, not for our own sakes, but so they will be sound in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ in all matters, cleaning the church of our Lord from iniquity.

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. -Titus 2:14-15

I've read other Christian websites that have blatently said that if anyone preaches against Christmas, they are "pseudo-Christians." 'Pseudo' means fake or not legitimate. I tell people that you're not going to heaven or hell on the basis of whether or not you celebrate paganism (our salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ), but there are a surprising number of preachers out there who despise myself and many other Christians, condemning us to hell, because we DO NOT celebrate inquity in Christmas.

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. -Proverbs 29:25

Ignorance of the facts and fear of men are the real reasons Christmas is not being revealed by preachers behind the pulpit. Ignorance because the churches of America today are slowly being pushed into the hands of Rome, and fear because most preachers would lose their position and paycheck if they dared to address reproof of the most beloved pagan sabbat in churchianity.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. -1 Thessalonians 5:21 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. -Ephesians 6:12

(Obama and his family lighting a national Christmas tree. Should Christians be yoked together with the world on this?)

 

And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. -Luke 16:15 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? -2 Corinthians 6:14 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. -Matthew 7:18

We need to stop trying to get good fruit out of an evil tree. If we celebrate evil fruit, what example do we show to others?