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When Jesus told us how to recognise false prophets, he said:
(Matthew 7:16-20) "You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither
can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Therefore by their fruits you shall know them."
This is not only a good way to judge people, such as prophets, but it gives us a principle by which we can judge many other things also. If we wish to know whether Christmas is good or bad, whether it is of God, or of the Devil, we can just examine its fruit, and by its fruit we will be able to tell. Therefore in these next sections we will be examining the fruits of Christmas.
Is birthday feasting a good thing? It was done by Pharaoh on his birthday (Genesis 40:20), and by Herod on his (Mark 6:21),
neither of whom are we meant to imitate. Both of these men ordered someone to be killed on that day: Pharaoh hanged the chief baker (Genesis 40:22), and
Herod beheaded John the Baptist (Mark 6:21-28). Solomon said, "It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting:
for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart." (Ecclesiastes 7:2).
Should not the word of God be taken note of? Christian feasting now is meant to be spiritual rather than carnal, just as Paul admonished Christians to
keep the Passover:
(1 Corinthians 5:8) "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
Everyone who attends parties and feasts are laying themselves open to the temptation of over eating. This was the original temptation used by the devil to bring sin into the world (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:17; Romans 5:12), it also brings deception (Proverbs 23:13), and spiritual poverty (Proverbs 23:20-21). It is an attribute of a fool (Proverbs 30:22; Luke 12:19-20), of the proud (Psalm 119:69-70), of an unfaithful servant (Luke 12:45-46), and of the wicked (Jeremiah 5:26-28; Proverbs 13:25). If we keep doing it then our heart can become set upon it (Ecclesiastes 7:2). Those with a strong desire for such party foods have a fleshly lust which wars against the soul (Romans 7:22-23; 1 Peter 2:11), which prevents them from pleasing God (Romans 8:5-13), lusts against the spirit (Galatians 5:16-17), and which we are commanded to abstain from (Romans 13:14; 1 Peter 2:11). Such lusting after food is a sin, spiritual fornication (Genesis 25:29-34 with Hebrews 12:16-17; Ezekiel 16:49; 1 Corinthians 6:13; Philippians 3:17-19), and God hates those who do it (Genesis 25:29-34 with Romans 9:13). It can lead to exaltation of the heart (Deuteronomy 8:11-14; Hosea 13:6), and it is a failure to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Those who are full can forsake God (Deuteronomy 32:15), deny God (Proverbs 30:89), and forget God (Deuteronomy 6:11-12; 8:11-14; Hosea 13:6). Besides all this, it is totally contrary to the Christian cross of self denial (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; 10:21; Luke 9:23; 14:27; Philippians 3:17-19), and it is difficult to see how regular offenders in this area can be saved (Deuteronomy 21:10-21; Psalm 78:29-31; Ezekiel 34:16; Luke 6:25; Romans 8:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 9:27; Galatians 5:24; 6:7-8; Philippians 3:18-19). Why should a Christian want to lay himself open to all of this?
Gluttony is one of the fruits of Christmas.
The word "merry" means "joyous, full of laughter or gaiety", and to "make merry" means to "be festive". Is there anything wrong with having a good time and making merry? Solomon said:
(Proverbs 14:13) "Even in laughter the
heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness."
(Ecclesiastes 2:1) "I said in my heart, Go now, I will
prove you with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is
vanity."
(Ecclesiastes 7:3-4) "Sorrow is better than laughter: for
by sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the
wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of
mirth."
God's word commands us to be sincere (Joshua 24:14; 2 Corinthians 2:17; Ephesians 5:3-4; Titus 2:7), because it helps to avoid spiritual poverty (Proverbs 21:17), it improves the heart (Ecclesiastes 7:3), it helps to avoid loss of honour (Ecclesiastes 10:1), it shows reverence for the church (1 Timothy 3:15), it makes us more worthy of grace (Ephesians 6:24), it helps to avoid offending others (Philippians 1:10), and it helps to avoid putting a stumbling block in a brothers way (Romans 14:13). Should a true Christian have anything to do with merrymaking?
(Luke 6:25) "Woe to you who laugh now! For you shall mourn and weep."
Merrymaking is one of the fruits of Christmas.
The phenomenal increase in sales of alcohol at Christmas time is well known. It is a time when people "let themselves go" in order to have a good time. What they really let go of is their God given self control, which is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:23), and when they surrender this, they give the devil an opportunity to come in. Even the secular world knows this, because alcohol is commonly called "the demon drink", and it is against the law to drive under its influence. What may not be commonly known, but is nevertheless so, is that drunkenness is a form of devil worship, along with other types of drug taking which take away our self control, and is encouraged in satanic literature. Anyone who can read can see it listed as a work of the flesh, translated "witchcraft" (Galatians 5:21), about which Paul said, "those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Noah was righteous enough to be the head of the only family saved when God flooded the world (Genesis 7), but when he later planted a vineyard, and became drunk from it, he exposed his nakedness to one of his sons, and ended up cursing his grandson (Genesis 9:20-25). Lot was the only man righteous enough to escape the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, but when he later became drunk through the deceit of his two daughters, he ended up committing incest with both of them (Genesis 19). As well as these examples of strong drink causing righteous men to sin, we can see that drunkenness is a prime cause of deception (Proverbs 20:1; Isaiah 28:7), and the fate of drunkards is clear:
(1 Corinthians 6:9-10) "Do you not know
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived; neither ... drunkards ... shall inherit the kingdom of God."
(Galatians 5:21) "drunkenness ... those who do such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Drunkenness is a fruit of Christmas.
There are two major lies told at Christmas time. One is that Jesus was born on Christmas day, the 25th of December. The other is that a man called "Father Christmas" (or "Santa Claus") exists and brings presents to children at Christmas. The devil is the source of these deceptions, because Jesus said about him:
(John 8:44) "When he speaks a lie, he
speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), and Jesus told us to be like him:
(Matthew 5:48) "You be therefore perfect, even as your
Father who is in heaven is perfect."
The word of God says:
(Exodus 20:16) "You shall not bear false
witness"
(Leviticus 1:11) "You shall not ... lie one to another."
(Luke 18:20) "Do not bear false witness,"
(Proverbs 6:16-19) "These six things does the LORD hate:
yes, seven are an abomination to him: ... a lying tongue ... A false witness
that speaks lies,"
(Proverbs 12:22) Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord"
The fate of all liars is clear:
(1) Punishment in this life:
(Proverbs 19:9) "A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish."
(2) Exclusion from the New Jerusalem:
(Revelation 21:27) "there shall no way enter
into it anything that ... makes a lie:"
(Revelation 22:15) "For outside are dogs, and
sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and
makes a lie."
(3) Eternal damnation:
(Revelation 21:8) "all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Will a true Christian have anything to do with this?
Lies are one of the fruits of Christmas.
The word of God teaches that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights," (James 1:17), and that we should "call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." (Matthew 23:9). The world teaches that good gifts come from "Father" Christmas, making him an alternative god to children. This is blatant idolatry and is commanded against throughout scripture:
(Exodus 20:3) "You shall have no other
gods before me."
(Leviticus 19:4) "Do not turn to idols,"
(1 Corinthians 10:7) "Neither be idolaters,"
(1 Corinthians 10:14) "flee from idolatry."
Parents who tell this lie to their children are condemning them:
(Isaiah 9:16) "For the leaders of this
people cause them to err; and those who are led of them are destroyed."
(Matthew 15:14) "if the blind lead the blind, both shall
fall into the ditch."
Outside the New Jerusalem will be "whoever loves and makes a lie." (Revelation 22:15). Will a true Christian have anything to do with this?
The use of Christmas trees is forbidden in scripture:
(Jeremiah 10:2-5) "Thus says the LORD, Do not learn the way of the heathen, and do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed
at them.
For the customs of the people are vain: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe.
They deck it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers that it does not move.
They are upright as the palm tree, but do not speak: they must be carried,
because they cannot go. Do not be afraid of them; for they cannot do evil,
neither also is it in them to do good."
It is said that pagans believed spirits lived in trees that remained green in winter, thus the practice of putting them in their houses would be for worship, and for obtaining blessings from the spirit. The tradition of putting presents under the Christmas tree is said to come from this, that they were presents from the spirit of the tree. Having a Christmas tree is another form of idolatry.
Idolatry is one of the fruits of Christmas.
This exchange of presents has a pagan origin, and even the scripture shows it to be done by the wicked:
(Revelation 11:9-10) "And those of the people and tribes and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall
not allow their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And those who dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make
merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented
those who dwell on the earth."
On the other hand, the scriptural type of giving:
(Mark 10:21) "Then Jesus beholding him loved
him, and said to him, One thing you lack: go your way, sell whatever you have,
and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come, take up
the cross, and follow me."
(Luke 14:13-14) "But when you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 And you shall be blessed; for they cannot recompense you: for you shall
be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."
(Romans 12:13) "Distributing to the necessity of the
Saints;"
How much money would it cost to send billions of Christmas cards every year? Can you justify spending this money on cards when the poor of the world are dying of hunger, thirst, and exposure? Do you know what Jesus is going to say to people who waste their resources like this on judgement day?
(Matthew 25:41-46) "Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into
everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was hungry, and you gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and you did not take me in: naked, and you did not clothe me: sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not
minister to you?
Then he shall answer them, saying, Amen I say to you, Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into
life eternal."
How much did you spend last Christmas on presents for people who did not need them, cards, Christmas trees, and decorations? How many children have suffered or died somewhere in the world because you did not give to them instead? Notice what Jesus said, "Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me." (Matthew 25:45).
Waste is a fruit of Christmas.
DEUTERONOMY 22:5
5 The woman shall not wear that which pertains to a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are an abomination to the
LORD your God.
Note: There is no basis whatever for pantomimes in scripture, and the reasons are as follows;
(1) The dress:
For those who do not know, one of the traditions of pantomime is that some men dress up as women and play women's roles, while some women dress
up as men and play men's roles. Why then should a Christian want to take part in, or even watch something portrayed by people who are an abomination
to God? Do you not know that those who love wickedness are judged the same as those who do it?
(Romans 1:32) "those who do such things are
worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in those who do them."
Having disobeyed the word of God, they have put themselves under the curse:
(1 Corinthians 6:9-10) "Do you not know that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; ...
effeminate ... shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
(2) The lie:
Pantomimes are "fiction", which means "an invented statement or story; conventionally accepted falsehood." In other words pantomimes are
lies (See #2.2). If you are in any doubt about the fate of people who take part in such things, the Greek word for
"an actor" is "hupokrites",
(from which we get our English word "hypocrite"), and the scripture shows that all hypocrisy is lies:
(1 Timothy 4:2) "Speaking lies in hypocrisy:"
The fate of hypocrites is also clear from scripture:
(Job 8:13) "the hypocrite's hope shall
perish:"
(Job 13:16) "an hypocrite shall not come before him (God)."
(Job 15:34) "the congregation of hypocrites shall be
desolate,"
(Job 36:13) "the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath:"
(Matthew 23:13) "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!"
(Matthew 23:14) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!"
(Matthew 23:15) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!"
(Matthew 23:23) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!"
(Matthew 23:25) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!"
(Matthew 23:27) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!"
(Matthew 23:29) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!"
Why should a Christian want to watch such things, when you know that, "A hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbour:" (Proverbs 11:9)? Read again (Romans 1:32; Revelation 22:15).
Hypocrisy is a fruit of Christmas.
(3) The Witchcraft:
The plots of almost all pantomimes are riddled with witches, witchcraft, magicians, casting spells on people etc. all of which are occultism and
totally contrary to the scripture. Pantomimes are the work of the devil.
Enjoying these occult pantomimes is a fruit of Christmas.
There is no basis for decorating the home with evergreens in scripture, it is part of heathen worship and should therefore be avoided by all sincere Christians.
(Jeremiah 10:2) "Thus says the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen,".
Decorating homes and churches in the manner of pagan worship is a fruit of Christmas.
This is a remnant of a dead pagan religion, and as such should be avoided by every sincere Christian. It is forbidden spiritual
food (Leviticus 22:8; Deuteronomy 14:21).
Kissing of other peoples wives under mistletoe just invites condemnation:
(Proverbs 6:27-29) "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
So he who goes in to his neighbour's wife; whoever touches her shall not be
innocent."
(Matthew 5:28) "But I say to you, That whoever looks on a
woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart."
(Jeremiah 10:2) "Thus says the LORD, Do not learn the way of the heathen,".
Lust and adultery are two of the fruits of Christmas.
DEUTERONOMY 4:2 (Moses)
2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish anything from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your
God which I command you.
DEUTERONOMY 12:32 (Moses)
32 Whatever thing I command you, observe to do it: you shall not add to it, nor diminish from it.
PROVERBS 30:56 (Solomon)
5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield to those who put their trust in him.
6 Do not add to his words, lest he reproves you, and you are found a liar.
REVELATION 22:18 (Jesus)
18 For I testify to every man who shall hear the words of the prophecy of this book,
If any man shall add to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that
are written in this book."
Note: Is not adding Christmas to your Christian calendar totally contrary to these commands?
Is Christmas not adding to God's word? and how then will you not be found a liar? all of whom will have their part in the lake of fire after the judgement day:
(Revelation 21:8) "all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Many believe that Revelation 22:18 certainly applies to the book of Revelation, but some would attribute it to the whole bible. Are you prepared to risk the plagues in Revelation in order to continue to celebrate Christmas?
Celebrating birthdays is a pagan custom, and God has said, "Do not learn the way of the heathen," (Jeremiah 10:2). In scripture there
are two examples of birthday celebrations, Pharaoh (Genesis 40:20), and King Herod (Mark 6:21). Both of these men had someone put to death on their
birthday, Pharaoh had the baker hanged (Genesis 40:22), and Herod had John the Baptist beheaded (Mark 6:22-28).
On the other hand, there is no account anywhere in scripture of any godly person, or a Christian in the New Testament, celebrating their birthday.
Therefore, we cannot be following Jesus or the Apostles if we do it.
Birthdays are a time when someone is made to feel really important, because of something that was none of his doing. This is exaltation of a person,
which leads to pride, and should therefore be avoided.
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