I have found these interesting, and I hope you find these a blessing. Merry Christmas!—KH

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December 25 is probably not the actual birth of Jesus, but it is good to celebrate Jesus' birth, and since we don't have a time commanded, we celebrate when people's minds are drawn to this wonderful event.

On the other hand, we now know more details of church history and that, NO it is NOT a Pagan Holiday, despite what you heard in evangelistic meetings and have read in outdated church histories. It is a creation of the Christian Church based on Judaism.

The historians of the dark ages were doing their best with the knowledge they had come across in their study. Based on what they knew at the time they concluded that Christmas having come into the church during the fourth century (the 300s AD) after Constantine’s debatable conversion when the church did compromise with heathenism. However further study has shown that December 25 or January 6 (depending on which church) has been kept as the celebration of Jesus' birth since the third century (200s AD) and have roots in the second century (100s AD). That is 100 to 200 years before Constantine and when these historians first thought that Christmas was kept.

What happened was in the 130s AD (I don't remember if it was 135 AD or 138 AD) Judaism and Christianity split into two different religions. Now, according to an ancient Jewish Legend, Isaac was conceived on Passover and that Abraham went to sacrifice him on Passover. (No, I do not know if there is any Biblical basis for this legend, nor how far back in Jewish history it began-- My guess would be the intertestamental period, but it may be older, but this is where we should hang our blame for the events this time of year.)

The second century Christians latched on to this legend and said "It was also Passover that Gabriel announced to Mary that she was going to be the mother of Jesus, and it was Passover that he was crucified." With going from the Jewish to Western Calendars, most of the Church started keeping the feast of the Annunciation on March 25, although the Greek Church began keeping it on April 6. These dates were kept for about 100 years, then in the third century AD both churches added 9 months to the feast of the annunciation and began to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Granted this still does not make December 25 the birthday of Jesus, but it is a more accurate understanding of the history on how we got December 25 as Christmas than how we have come to traditionally viewed it.

For more study see Bible Review December 2002.
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No Room in the Kataluma...

For centuries Bible translators did not know just how to translate the Greek word "Kataluma" they knew that its literal translation was "guest chamber" but did not know how to have that make sense in the languages they translated the text into. Since it was a place to stay they guessed that it might have been an "Inn." Now Kataluma is not the usual word for in, for example the parable of the Good Samaritan uses the usual word for "Inn" but translators had no other guess and wondered if "Kataluma" might have been another word for "Inn" so the idea of no room in the "Inn" became a Christian tradition.

Well, they now know what Kataluma is, and the translators guessed wrongly. People lived in houses with often 20 to 40 some rooms, some of these were court yards some were for storage, often times an entire family would live in a single room, with several families (or at least the extended family) living in different parts of the house. (The parable of the fool that wanted to tear down his barns and make bigger ones meant that he wanted to kick out his neighbors and relatives and make his entire 20 to 40 some room house all storage except for his living area)

Well, each of these houses had a room for family members who lived out of town, where they could stay when they visited. This room was called-- you guessed it-- the Kataluma. It was not a local Inn that did not have room, but Joseph's family.

Now the answer to one mystery has opened doors for another... Why was there no room in the Kataluma? Was it because Mary and Joseph were not welcome? Is this a contrast between the welcoming of Elizabeth and Mary's family to the unwelcoming of Joseph's family and a beginning of a history of some welcoming Jesus and others not welcoming him?

Or was there no room in the Kataluma because there were so many relatives that there was no privacy. Was little Moshe asking for a drink of water and little Rebecca constantly asking "Has Aunt Mary had the baby yet?" and that they simply had to get to someplace more private to give birth?

Did Luke write this passage with a tear or a laugh? We don't know, but both are good to meditate on. But what we do know is that it was not some public Inn, but Joseph's family.

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Loosing loved ones during the holiday season can be hard, and the pain of missing a loved one who died at other times of the year become fresh as we remember their empty place at the family gathering.

John 10:22-11:54 should have been one complete chapter to itself. John has a group of stories where the order of these elements may change, but you always find a temple holiday, Jesus saying something where he focuses on an aspect of the holiday, has an "I AM" statement also dealing with that aspect of the holiday, then a sign or miracle (John uses the word sign, not miracle) focusing on that aspect of the holiday. Not all holidays are included. Different Passovers over different years are included, and one year's feast of Tabernacles had a number of these stories. But John 10:22-11:54 is a Hanukkah story, a story for this season. And as you might expect from Jesus, it is a message to people feeling sad at this time of year, as if he foresaw the importance of this season and wanted us to have this thought every year at this time. So it is a Christmas card, or Christmas sermon from Jesus.

Hanukkah celebrates the restoring of the worship of Yahweh in the temple after the attempt to kill off the worship of Yahweh by Antiochus in the 160's B. C.

Jesus focuses on this with a discussion which includes the promise of vs. 27 and 28: "My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never die. No one can snatch them away from me.

This leads to one of his followers, Lazarus dieing. Although his sisters knew that he would rise up in the last day, Jesus clarified to them that the Resurrection is NOT an event, but A PERSON as he says "I am the Resurrection and the life." The last day is when it would be a good time for the person who is the Resurrection and the Life to awaken our loved ones.

Our loved ones live in our memory, and in a fuller sense they live in the memory of God, and if you think about it, no matter how dead the body is and how unconscious the person may be, living in God's memory is being even more alive than our being awake is.

The raising of Lazarus and the reunion with his sisters and friends is a promise of the great Christmas present that Jesus will come and give us!

======== Spelling correction in the topic name only. - Daryl

[ December 08, 2005, 07:58 PM: Message edited by: Daryl Fawcett ]

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[ January 01, 2005, 07:01 AM: Message edited by: Doug Meister ]

Hi again Doug:
I tend to lean towards Jesus' birth being around the Feast of Tabernacles someplace between 5 to 10 BC (Herod died in 4 BC, and we are told that Jesus was "About" 30 years old when he started his ministry in 27 AD, which could be someplace within his thirtys. Too many people want to change the text that said the "About thirty" into "Exactly thirty" which the text DOES NOT SAY, and the censuses that we know of are in 10 BC and 4 AD, but I lean towards the idea that there was another census between the two that we don't yet have record of.)

And I won't debate Tammuz being born to Semiramus on December 25. I have heard it brought out in many sermons, but have not studied it out either way as to whether it is merely tradition or if there is historical evidence to support it. I know it is at least a tradition that has been around for a long time. And if Christmas was started to be kept after Constantine in the fourth century, as the church did indeed imbrace much of Paganism then this would indeed make sence. But there are two problems with this reasoning.

What the article in Bible Review brought out is that although traditionally the church has said that Christmas began being kept by the church in the forth century (the 300s AD) during a time when it did incorporate much of paganism, further research has discovered that actually December 25 or January 6 (depending on which calender was used by which church) was celebrated as the birth of Jesus 100 years prior to this (during the third century), at a time when the church was avoiding paganism, persecuted and hiding in the catacombes. and that during the second century (the 100s AD) they were cellebrating the announciation to Mary on March 25 or April 6 (again depending on the calender used by which church) because of that Jewish legend that Isaac was conseved on Passover and that Abraham went to sacrifice him on Passover.

Even if we accept December 25 as the birth of Tammuz, we still have the problems of the church keeping December 25 or January 6 as the birth of Jesus 100 years earlier than previously thought, during a time that Paganism was not that strong in the church, and that a hundred years before that the Announciation was celebrated on March 25 or April 6, which had no connection to December 25 or January 6 except for being 9 months prior. and that the churches who's calender celebrated the Announciation on March 25 began to celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25, and the churches whos calander celebrated the announciation on April 6 began to celebrate the birth of Jesus on January 6. Do you have any suggestions for this new evidence?

Becareful about avoiding continuing research otherwise your Doctor may perscribe some medications for you that are now seen not to be the best.

Last Sabbath someone gave me a book on the orgin of Xmas, Easter and Halloween.

I have never really read any of these books but I had some time between church and something so I started reading it. There is alot of history in it.

You know there are alot of people who do not know where alot of these holidays came from. The holidays have become such a tradition that I believe the average person just does it because it has "always" been that way. As far as Xmas goes we have council from God's prophet that we are not to ignore that day but to not be like the world.

While reading through the first chapter in this book I copied down some names to look up.

MITHRAISM was one and there was alot of stuff on it but here is what it says about its link to Christianity.

quote:

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Link to Christianity
As Christianity gathered momentum and eventually became the Roman Empires state religion, Mithraism was not tolerated. The Apologist saw it as a satanic transversty of the holiest rites of their religion. Nevertheless Catholicism has preserved some of the outer form of Mithraism to name some; the timing of Christmas, Bishops adaptation of miters as sign of their office, Christians priests becoming 'Father' despite Jesus' specific proscription of the acceptance of such title. The Mithraic Holy father wore a red cap and garment and a ring, and carried a shepherd1s staff. The Head Christian adopted the same title and outfitted himself in the same manner. While the outer appearance of Mithraism can be detected in Catholicism, some traces of the inner teachings of Mithraism can be found in Sufisim, therefore study of Sufisim allows a new insight into Mithraism, and possibly vise versa.

---

Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I meant to go back and follow those links and see if they were all just history links, which I just did after reading your post. I found out that there was some other links that were not good so I have deleted the link to the web page. Anyone can find out the history of this anyway by just doing a search on Mithraism. again.

[ December 22, 2004, 11:56 AM: Message edited by: Avalee ]

The website refered to by Avalee contains really strange stuff.

/Thomas

.,.,

[ January 01, 2005, 07:03 AM: Message edited by: Doug Meister ]

Excellent work Doug. I will have to look closer at it, I gave it a quick read this morning. Although the writer has mixed research with tradition, the actual heart of his research is not in competition with what my post pointed out.

Once again I am not saying that the information gives any support for when the birth of Jesus is. It is only pointing out the orgin of HOW we came to keep Christmas on the 25 of December. It is NOT a study into the actual birthdate as your study is. I do not believe that Jesus was born on December 25, and thus I'm open to different studies as to when it could have been, such as the study you shared.


What this study is simply pointing out that while we traditionally hear that the church started to keep Christmas in the 4th Century, after Constantine made Christianity the religion of the empire, and was compromising with the heathen. But the facts are that the church has been keeping December 25 as the birth of Christ since the third century, and that this cellebration came from the feast of the announciation celebrated in the second century on March 25.

This is only a study on the orgin of celebrating on December 25. No more and no less. It is in no way intended to be a study on the actual birth of Jesus. Doug, your study is an actual attempt to discover the date of the actual birth. Go a head and study it out, and I'll look at the study you shared. But these are two different studies which are not exclusive of each other.

To start with, here are some quotations of counsel given by the Spirit of Prophecy which we as Seventh Day Adventists believe come from God, on the subject of the Holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years and Birthdays. If we disregard the counsel when it comes to this subject, why not disregard it all? Either we believe in the Spirit of Prophecy or we dont. I will write more on my own personal ideas about Christmas when I can, but I think everyone ought to take time to read what Ellen White says about it:


The Adventist Home, page 477, paragraph 1
Chapter Title: Christmas
Christmas as a Holiday.--"Christmas is coming," is the note that is sounded throughout our world from east to west and from north to south. With youth, those of mature age, and even the aged, it is a period of general rejoicing, of great gladness. But what is Christmas, that it should demand so much attention? . . .

The twenty-fifth of December is supposed to be the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, and its observance has become customary and popular. But yet there is no certainty that we are keeping the veritable day of our Saviour's birth. History gives us no certain assurance of this.

The Bible does not give us the precise time. Had the Lord deemed this knowledge essential to our salvation, He would have spoken through His prophets and apostles, that we might know all about the matter. But the silence of the Scriptures upon this point evidences to us that it is hidden from us for the wisest purposes.

In His wisdom the Lord concealed the place where He buried Moses. God buried him, and God resurrected him and took him to heaven. This secrecy was to prevent idolatry. He against whom they rebelled while he was in active service, whom they provoked almost beyond human endurance, was almost worshiped as God after his separation from them by death. For the very same purpose He has concealed the precise day of Christ's birth, that the day should not receive the honor that should be given to Christ as the Redeemer of the world--one to be received, to be trusted, to be relied on as He who could save to the uttermost all who come unto Him. The soul's adoration should be given to Jesus as the Son of the infinite God.

The Adventist Home, page 478, paragraph 1
Chapter Title: Christmas
The Day Not to Be Ignored.--As the twenty-fifth of December is observed to commemorate the birth of Christ, as the children have been instructed by precept and example that this was indeed a day of gladness and rejoicing, you will find it a difficult matter to pass over this period without giving it some attention. It can be made to serve a very good purpose.

The youth should be treated very carefully. They should not be left on Christmas to find their own amusement in vanity and pleasure seeking, in amusements which will be detrimental to their spirituality. Parents can control this matter by turning the minds and the offerings of their children to God and His cause and the salvation of souls.

The desire for amusement, instead of being quenched and arbitrarily ruled down, should be controlled and directed by painstaking effort upon the part of the parents. Their desire to make gifts may be turned into pure and holy channels and made to result in good to our fellow men by supplying the treasury in the great, grand work for which Christ came into our world. Self-denial and self-sacrifice marked His course of action. Let it mark ours who profess to love Jesus because in Him is centered our hope of eternal life.

The Adventist Home, page 478, paragraph 4
Chapter Title: Christmas
The Interchange of Gifts as Tokens of Affection.-- The holiday season is fast approaching with its interchange of gifts, and old and young are intently studying what they can bestow upon their friends as a token of affectionate remembrance. It is pleasant to receive a gift, however small, from those we love. It is an assurance that we are not forgotten, and seems to bind us to them a little closer. . . . It is right to bestow upon one another tokens of love and remembrance if we do not in this forget God, our best friend. We should make our gifts such as will prove a real benefit to the receiver. I would recommend such books as will be an aid in understanding the word of God or that will increase our love for its precepts. Provide something to be read during these long winter evenings.

The Adventist Home, page 479, paragraph 3
Chapter Title: Christmas
Let those who wish to make valuable presents to their children, grandchildren, nephews, and nieces procure for them the children's books mentioned above. For young people the Life of Joseph Bates is a treasure; also the three volumes of The Spirit of Prophecy .[** NOTE: EARLY E. G. WHITE BOOKS PRECEDING THE PRESENT "CONFLICT OF THE AGES SERIES."] These volumes should be placed in every family in the land. God is giving light from heaven, and not a family should be without it. Let the presents you shall make be of that order which will shed beams of light upon the pathway to heaven.

The Adventist Home, page 480, paragraph 3
Chapter Title: Christmas
Christmas--a Time to Honor God.--By the world the holidays are spent in frivolity and extravagance, gluttony and display. . . . Thousands of dollars will be worse than thrown away upon the coming Christmas and New Year's in needless indulgences. But it is our privilege to depart from the customs and practices of this degenerate age; and instead of expending means merely for the gratification of the appetite or for needless ornaments or articles of clothing, we may make the coming holidays an occasion in which to honor and glorify God.

Christ should be the supreme object; but as Christmas has been observed, the glory is turned from Him to mortal man, whose sinful, defective character made it necessary for Him to come to our world. Jesus, the Majesty of heaven, the royal King of heaven, laid aside His royalty, left His throne of glory, His high command, and came into our world to bring to fallen man, weakened in moral power and corrupted by sin, aid divine. . . .

The Adventist Home, page 481, paragraph 4
Chapter Title: Christmas
You can teach your children a lesson while you explain to them the reason why you have made a change in the value of their presents, telling them that you are convinced that you have hitherto considered their pleasure more than the glory of God. Tell them that you have thought more of your own pleasure and of their gratification and of keeping in harmony with the customs and traditions of the world, in making presents to those who did not need them, than you have of advancing the cause of God. Like the wise men of old, you may offer to God your best gifts and show by your offerings to Him that you appreciate His Gift to a sinful world. Set your children's thoughts running in a new, unselfish channel by inciting them to present offerings to God for the gift of His only-begotten Son.

The Adventist Home, page 482, paragraph 1
Chapter Title: Christmas
"Shall We Have a Christmas Tree?"--God would be well pleased if on Christmas each church would have a Christmas tree on which shall be hung offerings, great and small, for these houses of worship. Letters of inquiry have come to us asking, Shall we have a Christmas tree? Will it not be like the world? We answer, You can make it like the world if you have a disposition to do so, or you can make it as unlike the world as possible. There is no particular sin in selecting a fragrant evergreen and placing it in our churches, but the sin lies in the motive which prompts to action and the use which is made of the gifts placed upon the tree.

The tree may be as tall and its branches as wide as shall best suit the occasion; but let its boughs be laden with the golden and silver fruit of your beneficence, and present this to Him as your Christmas gift. Let your donations be sanctified by prayer.

Christmas and New Year celebrations can and should be held in behalf of those who are helpless. God is glorified when we give to help those who have large families to support.

The Adventist Home, page 482, paragraph 4
Chapter Title: Christmas
A Tree Laden With Offerings Is Not Sinful.--Let not the parents take the position that an evergreen placed in the church for the amusement of the Sabbath school scholars is a sin, for it may be made a great blessing. Keep before their minds benevolent objects. In no case should mere amusement be the object of these gatherings. While there may be some who will turn these occasions into seasons of careless levity, and whose minds will not receive the divine impress, to other minds and characters these seasons will be highly beneficial. I am fully satisfied that innocent substitutes can be devised for many gatherings that demoralize.

The Adventist Home, page 483, paragraph 1
Chapter Title: Christmas
Provide Innocent Enjoyment for the Day.--Will you not arise, my Christian brethren and sisters, and gird yourselves or duty in the fear of God, so arranging this matter that it shall not be dry and uninteresting, but full of innocent enjoyment that shall bear the signet of Heaven? I know the poorer class will respond to these suggestions. The most wealthy should also show an interest and bestow their gifts and offerings proportionate to the means with which God has entrusted them. Let there be recorded in the heavenly books such a Christmas as has never yet been seen because of the donations which shall be given for the sustaining of the work of God and the upbuilding of His kingdom.


Our High Calling, page 7, paragraph 2
Chapter Title: Happy New Year
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom . Ps. 90:12.

Another year of life is now in the past. A new year is opening before us. What will be its record? What will we each inscribe upon its spotless pages? The manner in which we spend each passing day will decide this question. . . .

God has not placed you in the world to lead an aimless life. He designs that you should be useful, and reach a high standard of moral excellence. To each one some work is given.

During the old year have you performed your appointed tasks with cheerfulness and fidelity, having an eye single to the glory of God? Opportunities and privileges have been granted you; what use have you made of these gifts entrusted to you by our Heavenly Father? Have you made yourself a blessing to those around you? Have you done what you could to make them happy and win them to Christ?

...Let us enter upon the new year with a clean record. Let faults be corrected. Let bitterness and malice be uprooted. Let right triumph over wrong. Let envy and jealousy between brethren be put away. Heartfelt, honest confession will heal grave difficulties. Then, with the love of God in the soul, there may flow from sincere lips the greeting, "I wish you a happy New Year."

The Adventist Home, page 473, paragraph 3
Chapter Title: Holidays and Anniversaries
On birthday occasions the children should be taught that they have reason for gratitude to God for His loving-kindness in preserving their lives for another year. Precious lessons might thus be given. For life, health, food, and clothing, no less than for the hope of eternal life, we are indebted to the Giver of all mercies; and it is due to God to recognize His gifts and to present our offerings of gratitude to our greatest benefactor. These birthday gifts are recognized of Heaven.

The Adventist Home, page 474, paragraph 2
Chapter Title: Holidays and Anniversaries
How Shall We Observe Thanksgiving?--Our Thanksgiving is approaching. Will it be, as it has been in many instances, a thanksgiving to ourselves? Or will it be a thanksgiving to God?

Our Thanksgivings may be made seasons of great profit to our own souls as well as to others if we improve this opportunity to remember the poor among us. . . .

Counsels on Stewardship, page 295, paragraph 2
Chapter Title: Words to the Youth
Satan's suggestions are carried out in many, many things. Our birthday anniversaries and Christmas and Thanksgiving festivals are too often devoted to selfish gratification, when the mind should be directed to the mercy and loving-kindness of God. God is displeased that His goodness, His constant care, His unceasing love, are not brought to mind on these anniversary occasions.

Counsels on Sabbath School Work, page 143, paragraph 1
Chapter Title: Gathering Weekly Mission Offerings
Birthday Offerings
Under the Jewish economy, on the birth of children an offering was made to God, by His own appointment. Now we see parents taking special pains to present gifts to their children upon their birthdays; they make this an occasion of honoring the child, as though honor were due to the human being. Satan has had his own way in these things; he has diverted the minds and the gifts to human beings; thus the thoughts of the children are turned to themselves, as if they were to be made the objects of special favor. That which should flow back to God in offerings to bless the needy and carry the light of truth to the world, is turned from the right channel, and frequently does more harm than good, encouraging vanity, pride, and self-importance. On birthday occasions the children should be taught that they have reason for gratitude to God for His loving-kindness in preserving their lives for another year. Precious lessons might thus be given. For life, health, food, and clothing, no less than for the hope of eternal life, we are indebted to the Giver of all mercies; and it is due to God to recognize His gifts, and to present our offerings of gratitude to our greatest benefactor. These birthday gifts are recognized of Heaven.-- Review and Herald, Dec. 9, 1890.

Okay, first we see that the Jews had a practice of observing the birth date of their children. There's no reason why we would think the same wasn't done for Jesus.


Counsels on Sabbath School Work, page 143, paragraph 1
Chapter Title: Gathering Weekly Mission Offerings
Birthday Offerings
Under the Jewish economy, on the birth of children an offering was made to God, by His own appointment. Now we see parents taking special pains to present gifts to their children upon their birthdays; they make this an occasion of honoring the child, as though honor were due to the human being. Satan has had his own way in these things; he has diverted the minds and the gifts to human beings; thus the thoughts of the children are turned to themselves, as if they were to be made the objects of special favor. That which should flow back to God in offerings to bless the needy and carry the light of truth to the world, is turned from the right channel, and frequently does more harm than good, encouraging vanity, pride, and self-importance. On birthday occasions the children should be taught that they have reason for gratitude to God for His loving-kindness in preserving their lives for another year. Precious lessons might thus be given. For life, health, food, and clothing, no less than for the hope of eternal life, we are indebted to the Giver of all mercies; and it is due to God to recognize His gifts, and to present our offerings of gratitude to our greatest benefactor. These birthday gifts are recognized of Heaven.-- Review and Herald, Dec. 9, 1890.


The counsel is that its a good thing to stop and ponder one's birth and life on your brithday... for various reasons. Think about the magnitude of the birth of Jesus and what that means to us. In the Spirit of Prophecy we are admonished to ponder often the idea of God sending His only Son to become a human being and how He came to redeem us and so on. Why should we go out of our way NOT to ponder this on December 25th? Isnt this making an idol out of the pagan worship some have chosen to attach to that day? Why should the world have that much power over us?

Ellen White made a point to say that God did not tell us what day Jesus was born... when she talks about Christmas. God DID tell us what day Sabbath is... and about the Mark of the Beast. This is it totally different than the celebration of Christmas.

We have to pick and choose our battles wisely. I have seen SDA Pastors who make a raid upon others for celebrating Christmas that "pagan" holiday. Ive also seen people of other denominations turned off by that to where they refuse to even listen about the Sabbath issue. They assume we are fanatics and extremists because we dont celebrate Christmas.

The Spirit of Prophecy talks about New Years Day and celebrating that... by stopping to ponder what our life is all about and our responsibility to God. Whats wrong with doing that? Absolutely nothing. The celebration of New Years Day has a pagan origin. And one could make a big deal of that. You could dig up all sorts of things about its pagan origin. Is that any reason not to stop on that day to seriously think about the fact theres a whole new year ahead of us and ponder how to spend it?

Ellen White talks about putting an evergreen tree in the church and how there is absolutely nothing wrong with that act, and says its the motive that matters. If you were to go outside, pluck up some flowers God created, stick them in a vase and set them on your coffee table, is that a sin? What about if tomorrow, the Church of the Goofy Gophers decided to dedicate the act of sticking flowers in a vase to the Gopher God... would you then decide it were a sin to put flowers on your coffee table?

1Cor:8:4: As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.


It talks in the Bible about doing things in a way not to offend people. Like I said, most people out there in the world automatically assume things when religious groups dont celebrate Christmas.. they assume they are nut case fanatics. Thats how they view the Jehovah's Witnesses who dont celebrate Christmas. Why give Satan this ammunition to use against us? Why give the pagan Christmas celebration that much power over us?

Maybe if I think of stuff I might write more later. But its 6:00 in the morning here in Pennsylvania on Christmas day so I have to go get ready for tha day. We have a Christmas tree at our house, its nice You know the three wise men brought Jesus gifts on His birthday. Thats ok to do, dont let Satan mess that up for you by his introduction of a counterfeit pagan thing.


The whole idea is in the motivation. And the whole idea is in how we spend the day, either revolved around us or revolved around God and Jesus, His Son. Nothing wrong either with specifically thinking of the Resurrection on any day of the year including what the world has designated as "Easter".

As a matter of fact in the Spirit of Prophecy we are told God is DISPLEASED when we dont take time out on these holidays to ponder Him... in a special way:

Counsels on Stewardship, page 295, paragraph 2
Chapter Title: Words to the Youth
Satan's suggestions are carried out in many, many things. Our birthday anniversaries and Christmas and Thanksgiving festivals are too often devoted to selfish gratification, when the mind should be directed to the mercy and loving-kindness of God. God is displeased that His goodness, His constant care, His unceasing love, are not brought to mind on these anniversary occasions.


Here's the thing... okay here's a tree. Nothing wrong with a tree. Okay now here's a tree set on your living room floor. Nothing wrong with that. Okay now here's the same tree dedicated to idols. Okay now you have a problem.


I think the same principle applies to Christmas as applies here:

Healthful Living, page 118, paragraph 3
Chapter Title: Dress
523. Christians should not take pains to make themselves a gazing-stock by dressing differently from the world. But if, when following out their convictions of duty in respect to dressing modestly and healthfully, they find themselves out of fashion, they should not change their dress in order to be like the world; but they should manifest a noble independence and moral courage to be right, if all the world differ from them. If the world introduces a modest, convenient, and healthful mode of dress, which is in accordance with the Bible, it will not change our relation to God or to the world to adopt such a style of dress. Christians should follow Christ and make their dress conform to God's word. They should shun extremes.-- T., V. I, p. 458.


You shouldnt go out of your way to shun Christmas just so as not to be like the world... and then make yourself stick out, just to prove a point.

Claudia

I forgot one more thing, Sister White said at Christmas time people who normally wouldnt ever think about God are at that time thinking about religious issues and we should take the opportunity during Christmas season to tell them about the Bible, and the Three Angel's messages.

In other words, use it for a good purpose.