The Christmas Hype

The Christmas Hype

1/7/16

Ever wonder why more and more people are becoming grumps when the holiday season arrives?  There is an answer for all of the garbage that floats around this time of year and it should sound a very loud alarm to those who are directly influenced by such mayhem.  Even though this celebration is considered a Christian holiday the Church has forgotten what the season is all about and thus their attitudes reflect accordingly.  This time of the year is about what lies within the heart and how it is reflected to those who do not know the about the true meaning.  It is our responsibility to share the gift of Christ not just a gift of pleasure to others and until our hearts change back towards this direction, this time of year shall continually grow colder.

This article might seem to be a little late since the holiday season is officially over but it does tie in with the attitudes of people after the holidays because the “holiday attitude hangover” usually continues to shine long after this time of the year has passed.  I have been amused over the past few years of how much animosity has been presented when Christmas time rolls around.  Each direction of this holiday is now being attacked and it is evident that these attacks shall not cease anytime soon.  It is so sad really to have such a joyous time of the year be ruined by angry soldiers that dominate the world while many celebrate the real meaning of Christmas.  Oh wait, even that number is rapidly falling as well, I guess it all boils back down to what is in the heart that will show its true colors in the end.  It has been said for decades that if Christmas falls to the world all hope is lost for any type of true love to be shown; how true of a statement this is for it is Christ we celebrate at this time of the year, not the earthly possessions that are given.

A couple of years ago God shared with us an article concerning this matter and how the important thing to remember about this time of year is His Son’s birth and not the hype, pomp and circumstance that the world seems to dictate and forecast each year. For most people we understand that the birth of Christ was not around this time of the year and that it is the remembrance of His birth alone that we have chosen to accept in our lives on this date.  Our attentions have certainly changed in this matter and ever since we have allowed this change to occur our greed and passion for new toys has increased exponentially.  It has become sickening to watch people fight over items for themselves with others and sacrifice their immune systems just to be early for their prize.

To be honest, the Church is no different now, in fact, she is a direct reflection of what the world dictates and admonishes what the true meaning of Christmas really should be.  I understand that the previous sentence was a bit rough but if the Church does not stop and turn around and realize the true meaning of most of God’s laws that previous sentence will not be even close to what we will face in the near future, all of us.  Our services to God have become tawdry ceremonies in which we rebut God and place our allegiance to the world.  But have no fear, for this is not the first time that the Church and God’s people have lost focus on God and His ways.  There are plenty accounts in the Bible of what occurs to those societies who voluntarily choose to seek the world and not God, so our demise should not come as a surprise.

When I was a child I remember sitting in my parent’s laps and listening to the Christmas Story being told to a number of children and adults.  It was not only a tradition at my house but every church that my father led.  The emphasis of God and the birth of His Son was the main focus and always considered first when it came to giving.  Yes, we had a Christmas tree and I received my share of presents each year but my parents always made sure that Christ was kept first in Christmas and through this message they shared with me it taught me to share His birth with others, especially during this time of the year.  I also have to admit that I too have in the past been caught up in the hype of this season and as I look back I can see how destructive it was to myself, my family and to those that were associated with me during this time period.

The question of the true Christmas display has become apparently blank and almost to the point of it being classified as a secular holiday.  This is a direct reflection upon the status of the Church and how she fits into the world instead of being separate from the world.  She has slipped into a ritualistic status which influences worldly gains instead of a relationship status which frees and separates her from the world.  When this occurs, the projection of the Church becomes worldly focused on fitting into society and ignoring the reality that she is now being ridiculed and facing charges of worldly crimes instead of separation “crimes”. The key here is the word ridiculed, for it should be commonplace for the Church to face this type of worldly condemnation for being separate from the world, NOT for being accused of worldly crimes.  This is a harsh statement but so true, just look at the current status of the Church, not denominations, and it will become clear that the denominational situation has completely divided and approaching severing all ties with her Creator; a direct truth about the true reason for Christmas being projected.

This inclusion into the world is another example and the one most important to Christians as to the loss of her dominion.  Adam and Eve ignored the godly protection that covered them and entered us all into a life of sin as a consequence.  Israel was given the complete covering of a holy and divine covenant, to be totally separated from the world and yet they still continue to violate this eternal blessing.  God is so concerned with our eternal status that He extended His covenant to all people by sending His only Son to walk this earth and then to die and to be resurrected as the final covenant offering.  It is obvious that we too are now voluntarily and willingly pushing aside God’s blessings in order to fulfill our earthly commitments.  At least we can honestly say that mankind is consistent!

Giving from the heart is a tiresome event because it goes totally against what the world presents to people.  True giving is an act that brings hope, peace, kindness and godly love to those who we choose to show and as Jesus did for us when He was alive on the earth it should be a battle that spends every amount of life from our insides.  One should not be grumpy after wrapping a gift for a friend or delivering a hot meal to a neighbor who lost a loved one over the past year, but it should be a restful time afterward and one that can be comforted by the Holy Spirit when the sharing is completed.  I have to confess that there have been many times that my Christmas spirit has not been in the giving mode and for this I must ask for forgiveness because I was wrong.  All I want is to be like Christ in every way possible and especially when it this time rolls around.

I have read many articles this Christmas season concerning how pagan the holiday of Christmas is and how Christians should not be associated with it.  As long as we as a society approach this holiday in such manner I must agree with these authors and the issues that they present.  However, if the Church steps up to the plate and once again completely believes in the Christmas message about her Creator’s birth, then my stance on these authors can change.  If we return to the basics and place Christ first in our lives the Church shall be changed and will turn from her wickedness.  It will be a joy to stand out in front of the church building doors and ring the bells of good news to everyone around.  It will be exciting to give a gift from the heart to someone in need of the eternal gift of salvation.

Jesus loves His Church for it shall represent His bride one of these days.  But the condition of her life at the current moment truly represents the virgins that were not prepared instead of the ones that were prepared for their groom.  To be honest, the Church has prostituted herself to the world and cannot be placed into a virgin status.  She has no clue about this truth because she has fallen away for far that she can no longer adjust her vision correctly.  The only way that she can be classified back into God’s eyes as being ready is for her to be completely restored and allow God to restore her spiritual virginity His way.  This is why the spirit of Christmas has taken a turn for the worse and as long as the Church continues to whore herself into the world’s affairs, times shall only continue to darken.  Why do we have to find out things the hard way?  We can break this circle of human destruction but it shall only come if we turn our lives back to God.

I challenge the Church to prove the doubting authors wrong and to restore the true spirit of Christmas into our hearts once again.  Christmas should be a time of fellowship and sharing the gospel of Christ with a cheerful and glowing heart.  The Church should radiate during this time and be a pure and holy representative of God now and for all times.  So, if we wish to continue to celebrate a pagan holiday and all that it stands for continue on the path that we have chosen and we will bring this holiday to the extreme that the pagans wished it to be.  But if we turn our hearts back to God and place our focus upon Him again, the holiday of Christmas will once again ring loud and clear that our Savior was born in Bethlehem and the gift of eternal salvation is waiting for everyone and the hype of Christmas will be God’s love for all mankind instead of prizes that we think we deserve.

DLB