A very smart letter from the Journal
This was an excellent letter written in the Journal. I wish those in the Church of God splinters can thoughtfully reflect upon one of it's brilliant letters the appear from time to time. Mr.Sash feel free to contact me anytime. Kudos to you Sir!!!
I don't care if the sun don't shine
What is the very worst possible thing we could wish on someone? "You can go where the sun don't shine"?
Obviously not. The Churches of God do have a rich tradition of wishing (sometimes with a certain amount of satisfaction) the "third resurrection" on many who have disagreed with a particular group or minister. But the worst thing a COG member can ever say to someone else is to wish him "merry Christmas"!
This year brought a change. I used to support the ACLU in its fight against Christmas. No more. I am against everything the ACLU is for: abortion, secularism, promotion of the gay agenda, women's lib, suppression of Christianity, passivity in response to 9-11, socialized big government, etc. So why should I go along in lockstep with the American Civil Liberties Union on Christmas?
The ACLU and the secular left aren't really against Christmas. They are only against Christianity being in Christmas.
The real war isn't over Christmas per se but over whether Christ is to be allowed in Christmas. Yes, the origins of Christmas are totally pagan, complete with infant sacrifices, pagan orgies, the whole nine yards. It was the winter solstice, Satan's day (or night, as Satan's time is always midnight and the winter solstice is the midnight of "the solar day").
But that's not how Christmas is now celebrated. Let's be honest.
There are positive aspects in Christmas such as the sincere rejoicing in the Western world of the birth of Christ, the ardent desire for peace on earth and goodwill to men, the future conviction that good will triumph and God will bring peace, the attitude of giving and sacrifice, the elevation of the most noble qualities of man of peace, joy, love for fellowman and worship and obedience to God, the triumph of Christianity in Western civilization, the greatest music ever written to praise God and Jesus--the list goes on and on.
Sure, one can look at negative aspects such as overdrinking (as if to say no one has ever overimbibed at the Feast of Tabernacles), the commercialism and the secular trappings. But these things are just that, secular, and most professing Christians deplore them.
COGs retort that Christ wasn't born on Christmas day. So what? Few people in the world are so ignorant to think He was. COGs say Christmas came from paganism along with Easter, Sunday worship, etc., and all from the Catholic Church, the beast.
That's true but only partly true because Christmas isn't celebrated as the pagan day it once was.
Besides, without the Catholic Church there would be no New Testament preserved, no Christianity in Europe, no religious defense against the Muslims, no pilgrims coming to America to seek freedom to worship their Christian God, and we'd all be still worshiping the pagan gods our ancestors venerated 2,000 years ago.
The Jews, in the book of Esther, set aside the 14th of Adar to be a national holiday celebrating their deliverance from Haman. This is Hanukkah today. It wasn't prescribed in God's holy days in Leviticus, but neither is it proscribed in the Bible.
Christ in John 10:22 apparently observed it, and it is recorded positively in Esther.
So what am I saying: that I've decided to keep Christmas?
No, I observe God's holy days. But I'm not going to be self-righteous and hold up my nose and condemn my neighbors who are doing the best they can with the understanding God has given them and sincerely celebrating the birth of the Messiah and the peace and salvation God has brought through Jesus the Christ.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:10 we have to associate with the world, even though some are sexually immoral, greedy, dishonest or worship false gods (NJB). How much more then should we associate with those who are sincerely keeping Christmas in honor of Christ?
Look at it this way. How would you feel if you were Satan and the day you reserved for yourself for mankind to celebrate is now used by mankind to celebrate the birth of the man who defeated you and will shortly take your kingdom?
Your day has been turned into His day. Your murdering of the firstborn at midnight with all its symbolic meaning in Exodus has been negated by the substitution of the Lamb, Jesus.
You took the Lamb at midnight, as Matthew records. You entered Judas at night, as John made a point of in his gospel. You murdered Jesus by a horrifying crucifixion.
Guess what. Your victory is turned to defeat. God raised Him to eternal life as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to replace your kingdom of darkness.
In a symbolic type or way, you murdered Him at the midnight of the solar year, your holiday. Yet your efforts resulted only in the resurrection or birth of God's Son, Jesus the Christ, as Paul states in Romans 1:3-4.
Thus, in a symbolic way, Christmas is the birth of the Christ.
If I were Satan, I would not be happy with Christmas. I'd be backing the ACLU. For those who sincerely observe it, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
I know, I know. Some of you are wishing I'd go to where the sun don't shine.
What is the very worst possible thing we could wish on someone? "You can go where the sun don't shine"?
Obviously not. The Churches of God do have a rich tradition of wishing (sometimes with a certain amount of satisfaction) the "third resurrection" on many who have disagreed with a particular group or minister. But the worst thing a COG member can ever say to someone else is to wish him "merry Christmas"!
This year brought a change. I used to support the ACLU in its fight against Christmas. No more. I am against everything the ACLU is for: abortion, secularism, promotion of the gay agenda, women's lib, suppression of Christianity, passivity in response to 9-11, socialized big government, etc. So why should I go along in lockstep with the American Civil Liberties Union on Christmas?
The ACLU and the secular left aren't really against Christmas. They are only against Christianity being in Christmas.
The real war isn't over Christmas per se but over whether Christ is to be allowed in Christmas. Yes, the origins of Christmas are totally pagan, complete with infant sacrifices, pagan orgies, the whole nine yards. It was the winter solstice, Satan's day (or night, as Satan's time is always midnight and the winter solstice is the midnight of "the solar day").
But that's not how Christmas is now celebrated. Let's be honest.
There are positive aspects in Christmas such as the sincere rejoicing in the Western world of the birth of Christ, the ardent desire for peace on earth and goodwill to men, the future conviction that good will triumph and God will bring peace, the attitude of giving and sacrifice, the elevation of the most noble qualities of man of peace, joy, love for fellowman and worship and obedience to God, the triumph of Christianity in Western civilization, the greatest music ever written to praise God and Jesus--the list goes on and on.
Sure, one can look at negative aspects such as overdrinking (as if to say no one has ever overimbibed at the Feast of Tabernacles), the commercialism and the secular trappings. But these things are just that, secular, and most professing Christians deplore them.
COGs retort that Christ wasn't born on Christmas day. So what? Few people in the world are so ignorant to think He was. COGs say Christmas came from paganism along with Easter, Sunday worship, etc., and all from the Catholic Church, the beast.
That's true but only partly true because Christmas isn't celebrated as the pagan day it once was.
Besides, without the Catholic Church there would be no New Testament preserved, no Christianity in Europe, no religious defense against the Muslims, no pilgrims coming to America to seek freedom to worship their Christian God, and we'd all be still worshiping the pagan gods our ancestors venerated 2,000 years ago.
The Jews, in the book of Esther, set aside the 14th of Adar to be a national holiday celebrating their deliverance from Haman. This is Hanukkah today. It wasn't prescribed in God's holy days in Leviticus, but neither is it proscribed in the Bible.
Christ in John 10:22 apparently observed it, and it is recorded positively in Esther.
So what am I saying: that I've decided to keep Christmas?
No, I observe God's holy days. But I'm not going to be self-righteous and hold up my nose and condemn my neighbors who are doing the best they can with the understanding God has given them and sincerely celebrating the birth of the Messiah and the peace and salvation God has brought through Jesus the Christ.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:10 we have to associate with the world, even though some are sexually immoral, greedy, dishonest or worship false gods (NJB). How much more then should we associate with those who are sincerely keeping Christmas in honor of Christ?
Look at it this way. How would you feel if you were Satan and the day you reserved for yourself for mankind to celebrate is now used by mankind to celebrate the birth of the man who defeated you and will shortly take your kingdom?
Your day has been turned into His day. Your murdering of the firstborn at midnight with all its symbolic meaning in Exodus has been negated by the substitution of the Lamb, Jesus.
You took the Lamb at midnight, as Matthew records. You entered Judas at night, as John made a point of in his gospel. You murdered Jesus by a horrifying crucifixion.
Guess what. Your victory is turned to defeat. God raised Him to eternal life as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to replace your kingdom of darkness.
In a symbolic type or way, you murdered Him at the midnight of the solar year, your holiday. Yet your efforts resulted only in the resurrection or birth of God's Son, Jesus the Christ, as Paul states in Romans 1:3-4.
Thus, in a symbolic way, Christmas is the birth of the Christ.
If I were Satan, I would not be happy with Christmas. I'd be backing the ACLU. For those who sincerely observe it, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
I know, I know. Some of you are wishing I'd go to where the sun don't shine.
John Sash
Eldon, Mo.
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