I am home sick today. I sometimes think my physical maladies correspond with the sickness I see about me in society and life. There is a spiritual vacuum it seems in the world today, of course no different in days past but this vacuum seems to grow in intensity at this time of year, especially in America.
I being a student of both history and scripture, know that Christ wasn't born on December 25th in the year of our Lord. I also know the origins for this date from the Mithraism or the cult of SOL INVICTUS (the Unconquered Sun) from the days of the Roman Empire. December 25th was first celebrated as the birthday of Mithras, a persian god, usually depicted as straddling a bull and killing it with a sword.
Mithras represented a savior-king throughout the Persian Empire well before the 1st Century, but was well adopted by the Roman legionnaires. Even coins stamped by Constantine, who was a pagan who used Christianity to bind the Roman empire for unity, had the symbol of the Sun God, tied to his reign and emblazoned on coins of the time. It was only on his death bed, that Constantine the founder of today's church and it's buildings, sought water baptism, for security from his fear of death.
It was in the context of these times, that many pagan traditions were mixed into Christianity and exist even today in modern "churchianity".
Regardless of it's origin from paganism, many Christians today, exclaim that this is to be representative of the time of the birth of Christ, and churches throughout America, seek to show that in Christmas specials and more.
Even in my town, there are plans for a full size live show with animals and more at one of the cities most important atheletic and conference centers, Known as the "CAIN CENTER". This show is being brought to you by our most favored Baptist Church, the one above all others, as it refers to itself as the "First Baptist".
Christmas time becomes a scurry for the religionist to find something they can do, to outdo the rest of the churches in. This often is more of a drive for evangelism and adding numbers to their membership rolls then anything else. People will bring out their children to see live shows, live animals and all the pageantry of Christmas and the story told of Baby Jesus. This then becomes the opportunity to seek new converts to their church and new money in the "offering plates" come the next year. Oh! they will tell you, this is evangelism, but is it?
This is the time of year, that I believe that if we are true "anointed one's" of Him. That rather than emphasizing, the giving of presents or recieving of presents, that this is a time like no other for us to take what is a largely paganist in origin, materialistic in practice, and show time for the churches, and make it real to our children and those around us. It is time for Christians to do as Paul quotes in Ephesians 5:14- "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you"
It is time for us if we lay claim to being Christian, to reveal the life and presence of Christ in us! It is time we teach our children, that Christmas isn't about "Christmas Presents but about Christ Presence".
I remind us all, to take heed to Pauls' words in the book of 2 Corinthians 15:5-
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith, examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that JESUS CHRIST is in you- unless indeed you fail the test.
The whole story of this child being born into the world and then being crucified at the young age of 33 (best appr age, based on the experts) is not the end of the story, but the beginning of a greater one. That greater story is that this Christ child would introduce life back into a world which had been dead far too long from the days of Adam, and this child would become the eternal living presence, that would reside in the hearts of all those who would recieve Him as the true life in God, a glorious redemption that restores man to the intention for which God created Him to be the very image and glory of Him! We have been restored and it was in this child that was born in Bethlehem, who through His mighty resurrection, destroyed sin and death, and now His presence is within us forever...His kingdom is everlasting, and He resides with, and in those who have recieved Him by faith. They have accepted the greatest Christmas present ever given to any man, they have recieved Christ Presence!
May the Lord bless and keep each and every one of you, during this time and season. Let it be a time to teach one another and our children, that Christmas Presents isn't what is all about, but every day is to be a lesson from one to another of Christ Presence within our own lives. The life of Christ within you, the hope of glory~!
Dr. J.
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