- Jul 12, 2020
- 19
- 2
Exactly Whose birthday is it?
Here is the question we should ask ourselves at Christmas time. If Christmas is Christ's birthday, then who is the other pretender we see at this time of year stealing the hearts of our children? You know, the one in the red suite to whom our children run to with excitement and glee. Most preachers are afraid to answer this question. They think that if they do they will loose their members, especially those with small children. I will state it this way: they would rather see the children have fun and excitement than for them to know Jesus.
But the truth is: This other God first appears on the scene in Revelation 12:7-9: "Then there was war in heaven. (Jesus) and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were cast out of heaven. This great dragon-the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world-was thrown down to earth with all his angels."
Then desperately wanting to get even with Jesus for casting him out of heaven, Satan's attitude has been this as explained in Isaiah 14 ever since: "For you said to yourself, 'I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High'" Or "I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High Jesus." And in his self-deceived mind, this is what Satan as Santa is trying to do. He comes to us on Christmas day in the guise of Santa because Santa or Saint is a good sounding Christian name! And as long as we let him, he will continue to do it!
The Bible further states in Isaiah 14: "How you are fallen from heaven O Lucifer, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world." Otherwise said, Satan is deceiving our children by trying to mimic what Jesus said to us in Jeremiah 3:19: "...I thought to myself, 'I would love to treat you as my own children. … I looked forward to you calling me Father.'" This is why as the counterfeiter, he gives himself the names Father Noel, Father Christmas, Father time, and Father God.
We first see Santa in our time in Norse folk lore as the God Odin riding a horse that has eight legs named Sleipnir. On the night when Odin rode Sleipnir across the winter sky to lead the souls of the dead to the underworld, children were said to leave out sugar and hay for Sleipnir in boots by the chimney, for which Odin would leave small gifts. This has come down to us as hanging our stockings for Santa to fill with gifts.
The concept of Santa using reindeer instead of a horse was introduced later in 1823 through the poem, "Twas the Night Before Christmas." This made his story more appealing to children as the writer of this poem thought it would. What I am saying is: When the Dutch settlers arrived in the America, they brought Santa Claus with them. Then in the early to mid 1800s, newspapers set aside separate sections for holiday advertisement, which often featured Santa's image, making Santa more appealing.
Then in 1841, thousands of children visited a Philadelphia shop to see a life-sized Santa model. And this visit wiped out all vestiges of opposition we may have had for this event. Meaning that the image of Santa has completely taken over Christmas. And we as good God fearing Church people don't seem to care. We go along with it without question, even in America's most fundamental, Bible believing churches. And as we see our children flock to him in excitement and glee, we just sit there and think that all is well; not knowing that we are leading them away from Christ!
I must admit that as a Black Church goer I celebrated Satan as a rival to Jesus from as far back as I can remember. And it was lots of fun and merriment. But I was deceived along with all the other children in my church. We would dress one of the men in a Santa suite and scream to the top of our lungs when he came into the room. But now I ask myself, what did Jesus think of having to share his birthday with someone else? Or better yet, what would you think of sharing your birthday with someone else? Or even better yet, what does Jesus now think of having to hare his birthday with his ancient competitor.
But people will say, what about the legend of St. Nicholas of the third century. (St. for Saint or Santa, and Claus (German) for Nicholas=Santa Claus) He was said to bring gifts to children starting on his feast day, December the 6th. However, with this gift giving gradually being focused on Christmas Day. But my answer is: He was only a type or picture of the real Santa Clause, Satan.
And too, Satan has used many people since the birth of Christ as his types and pictures. You can read about them on google at your own leisure, and if time continues, there may be more.
But still it is hard for most of us to admit that what I am saying about Satan as Santa Clause is true! See if we did, our whole world would change, and the God we have put in the place of Jesus on Christmas day would no longer have the fascinating appeal to us that he does. Said otherwise, most of us have long since reasoned that the man in the red suit is more fun than the baby in the manger.
Just look at the TV commercials at Christmas time. They are dominated by Satan as Santa, and we flock to them with folly and glee. As the song goes:
"He had a broad face and a round little belly, that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly! He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old Elf, I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread!"
But Santa Claus is still Satan, that old serpent called the devil!
Stay safe,
Rev. Autrey
Here is the question we should ask ourselves at Christmas time. If Christmas is Christ's birthday, then who is the other pretender we see at this time of year stealing the hearts of our children? You know, the one in the red suite to whom our children run to with excitement and glee. Most preachers are afraid to answer this question. They think that if they do they will loose their members, especially those with small children. I will state it this way: they would rather see the children have fun and excitement than for them to know Jesus.
But the truth is: This other God first appears on the scene in Revelation 12:7-9: "Then there was war in heaven. (Jesus) and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were cast out of heaven. This great dragon-the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world-was thrown down to earth with all his angels."
Then desperately wanting to get even with Jesus for casting him out of heaven, Satan's attitude has been this as explained in Isaiah 14 ever since: "For you said to yourself, 'I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High'" Or "I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High Jesus." And in his self-deceived mind, this is what Satan as Santa is trying to do. He comes to us on Christmas day in the guise of Santa because Santa or Saint is a good sounding Christian name! And as long as we let him, he will continue to do it!
The Bible further states in Isaiah 14: "How you are fallen from heaven O Lucifer, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world." Otherwise said, Satan is deceiving our children by trying to mimic what Jesus said to us in Jeremiah 3:19: "...I thought to myself, 'I would love to treat you as my own children. … I looked forward to you calling me Father.'" This is why as the counterfeiter, he gives himself the names Father Noel, Father Christmas, Father time, and Father God.
We first see Santa in our time in Norse folk lore as the God Odin riding a horse that has eight legs named Sleipnir. On the night when Odin rode Sleipnir across the winter sky to lead the souls of the dead to the underworld, children were said to leave out sugar and hay for Sleipnir in boots by the chimney, for which Odin would leave small gifts. This has come down to us as hanging our stockings for Santa to fill with gifts.
The concept of Santa using reindeer instead of a horse was introduced later in 1823 through the poem, "Twas the Night Before Christmas." This made his story more appealing to children as the writer of this poem thought it would. What I am saying is: When the Dutch settlers arrived in the America, they brought Santa Claus with them. Then in the early to mid 1800s, newspapers set aside separate sections for holiday advertisement, which often featured Santa's image, making Santa more appealing.
Then in 1841, thousands of children visited a Philadelphia shop to see a life-sized Santa model. And this visit wiped out all vestiges of opposition we may have had for this event. Meaning that the image of Santa has completely taken over Christmas. And we as good God fearing Church people don't seem to care. We go along with it without question, even in America's most fundamental, Bible believing churches. And as we see our children flock to him in excitement and glee, we just sit there and think that all is well; not knowing that we are leading them away from Christ!
I must admit that as a Black Church goer I celebrated Satan as a rival to Jesus from as far back as I can remember. And it was lots of fun and merriment. But I was deceived along with all the other children in my church. We would dress one of the men in a Santa suite and scream to the top of our lungs when he came into the room. But now I ask myself, what did Jesus think of having to share his birthday with someone else? Or better yet, what would you think of sharing your birthday with someone else? Or even better yet, what does Jesus now think of having to hare his birthday with his ancient competitor.
But people will say, what about the legend of St. Nicholas of the third century. (St. for Saint or Santa, and Claus (German) for Nicholas=Santa Claus) He was said to bring gifts to children starting on his feast day, December the 6th. However, with this gift giving gradually being focused on Christmas Day. But my answer is: He was only a type or picture of the real Santa Clause, Satan.
And too, Satan has used many people since the birth of Christ as his types and pictures. You can read about them on google at your own leisure, and if time continues, there may be more.
But still it is hard for most of us to admit that what I am saying about Satan as Santa Clause is true! See if we did, our whole world would change, and the God we have put in the place of Jesus on Christmas day would no longer have the fascinating appeal to us that he does. Said otherwise, most of us have long since reasoned that the man in the red suit is more fun than the baby in the manger.
Just look at the TV commercials at Christmas time. They are dominated by Satan as Santa, and we flock to them with folly and glee. As the song goes:
"He had a broad face and a round little belly, that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly! He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old Elf, I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread!"
But Santa Claus is still Satan, that old serpent called the devil!
Stay safe,
Rev. Autrey
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