It is Christmas!

When I grew up as a child in the United States of America almost everybody said, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year", this time of year. Now almost everywhere people say, "Happy Holidays." Why is that? Well, we have almost succeeded in dismissing God from the public arena. We have been under the false impression for some time that if we just ignore God He will go away and we won't have to deal with Him. However, just because that is what we think doesn't make it so.

Listen to what the Holy Bible has to say about this. In Hebrews 9:27 the Bible says, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." So whether we have forgotten about God in this life or not will make no difference because after death we must still face God's judgment.

Here is another verse that talks about the fact that ignoring God will not make Him go away. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." II Corinthians 5:10. Again, notice the first part of the verse, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ..."

You mean those who have forgotten God in this life? The verse says, "all."

We have been taught tolerance in the name of the love of God. And we are so afraid of offending others that we have sugar-coated what the Bible says. I do not believe in being unkind to others and the older I get the more compassionate I get but, let's face facts, when one talks about God someone is going to be offended. It has always been that way and always will be. Jesus said we are to "speak the truth in love" but we are to speak the truth. In fact, Jesus was perfect and even He offended others. He spoke the truth to the religious leaders of His day and they were offended. Did Jesus set out to offend? He set out to speak the truth and that is what He did. We are more compassionate to our fellow man by speaking the truth in love than we are by not speaking and letting them believe error. For those who know the truth, it is our responsibility before God to "speak the truth in love." We do no one any good by letting them believe that if they ignore God He will go away. We, too, will give an account to God. Matthew 10:33, "But whosoever will deny Me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven."

Christmas is one of the holidays in this country in which we celebrate Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. We celebrate the birth of God in flesh who came to this world to redeem sinful mankind. We have been remiss in letting the secular world and the religious world rob us of expressing the true meaning of Christmas. In schools we call it a "winter holiday." In stores they are "holiday trees." No, it is Christmas and they are Christmas trees and this is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Christ, the Redeemer of mankind!

It is Christmas, has always been Christmas, and always will be Christmas. So say it in love but say it boldly and say it with gratitude in your heart. Because God cared enough about you to offer Himself in a body to redeem you from your sin. In order to redeem me, God offered up God and that makes it a:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!