THE THREE HO'S
By
Tom Lamb of New
Zealand
Dismantling the three ho's of the Jolly Season
Three cheers for who!?
Ho ho ho ... eating, drinking, and making merry! This following verse has got nothing to do with Santa Claus:
Is. 55:1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
With Jesus there are three main ho's (reasons to be
merry) when we come to Him. One, we can come
(freely). Two, we can buy
(freely). And three, we can eat
(freely), on any occasion ... without
money and without
price. Meaning ... His gifts are free,
and are therefore not a commercialized commodity to be sold. Nor are they
conjured up through a spirit of obligation, to ease the givers conscience.
Hence, it makes sense why Paul mentioned God loveth
a cheerful giver. Which is nothing to do
with a "special" day but a daily attitude.
Intro (woe and ho):
It is of no surprise the question of Jesus' Divinity and miracles pop up from time to time on the media (old methods being recycled for the present trend), as this present system is under control of the prince of this world who opposes the purposes of God. Just as it is no surprise the Devil has always thrown up heaps of smokescreens throughout the last 2000 years in presenting another Jesus and another gospel, so the real one would be obscured. Apostates will always preach Christ in pretence. But who cares!? Our Savour cannot be ignored! Whether Christ is preached in pretence or truth, like Paul, we can rejoice. His Name, His Person, His identity, cannot be ignored! Jesus is an historical fact! Therefore, spiritual smokescreens and diversions should not throw or divert us! To be party to the spirit of this apostasy of another Jesus, is choosing the popular wide road. We'll stick to the narrow road. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
Following are three sound biblical reasons (three
woes for the three false ho's) why true believers cannot honour the Spirit of
Christmas. However, I must also add ... I do not condemn
many other Christians for celebrating Christmas as many are doing it out of
ignorance. Nor do we despise (but definitely don't encourage) someone
when they send us a Christmas Greeting card as we acknowledge "it is the thought
that counts", if their motive is pure. If Christians want to bring Christmas
into their homes, or any other abomination into
thine house that's their business! After
all, they are answerable for themselves. We choose not to due to the following
points, and admonish others to ignore tradition for tradition sake, looking
to the full counsel of God (go on - just for once!!) ... the Holy Scriptures
:
Ho to woe number one - The foundation of Christmas crumbles:
Although Paul may have rejoiced because Christ was being preached in pretence, it does not mean he endorsed it or approved of it. He was only glad Jesus could not be ignored, but had to be acknowledge someway by the world. Which proves His existence by the way! Meaning we'd better check Him out, than be left without excuse.
Isaiah 48:1. Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of blip, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of blip, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
Hence: Merry Christmas! He's the reason for the season! Let's put Christ back into Christmas!
blip missed it because by using God's name and making mentioning of Him, they did not do so in righteousness and truth. The Bride of Christ can miss it too if she does not heed the same piano coversning. This is why we are encouraged by scripture to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Christmas is not built on a foundation of righteousness but on open pagan idolatry. Just as it is not built on truth but on a lie. The lie ... a false God (sun worship), a false Christ (Baal / Tammuz), a false gospel (universal salvation), a false date (the winter solstice - as Christ was born in the piano coversm season), and fables (biblical stories taken out of context mixed with myth). Nothing about Christmas is holy or true! Christmas has not been constructed on righteousness and truth but on mythology and "Christian" pretence. Christmas is not based on the scriptural Jesus but on an invented one. Therefore ... if the (true) foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Because the word of God (the Lord Jesus Christ) is the true believers foundation:
1 Corinthians 3:11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
If this true foundation is destroyed then true believers might as well take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry ... for to morrow we die. But if Babylon is destroyed (as Rev. 14:8 - which is the ground work of Christmas) it would have no bearing on our faith whatsoever. Because ... the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.
Those that are His are those who build on no other
foundation except the one laid down before the foundation of the earth, Christ
Jesus our Lord, who is King of a kingdom that cannot
be shaken. That cometh
not with observation. That is only found
within you.
Christmas is an abomination to God as it is built on a wrong foundation of human
fables and the pretence it is "Christian". Which presents a false Christ,
a false spirit, and a watered down gospel; making sinners comfortable about
their godless lifestyle; inoculated against the truth, who see no need for repentance
topiano coversds a holy God. Xmas is outpiano coversd observation built on a shaky foundation
that will be demolished at His appearing and is totally superfluous to our faith.
Because Xmas is built upon a wrong foundation should it be adequate proof
it cannot be called Christian or bear the holy name of Christ in any way, let
alone be celebrated as such.
Ho to woe number two - The root of Christmas is struck a blow:
If our salvation is based on a mixed (leavened/polluted) word in any way, then our salvation would not be true as it would be based on man's tainted religious values, making us acceptable to the world but not to God. You may be able to argue with me, but you can in no way argue with God our unshakeable Rock who is both holy and requires holiness.
Fact: Christmas is from an unholy root: Pre Church ... from Babylon! Post church ... from Rome! And if the root be unholy, then so are it's branches! Still want to argue? Then take it up with the Author who inspired Romans 11:16 and 1 Peter 1:23. The branches of the Church of Rome are her Daughters (the Protestant denominations) who broke away from Her during the Reformation, but unfortunately never cut all the unholy cords. The most common of these cords is the Mass of Christ or Christ Mass. The root of the 25th of December is rooted way back in ancient Babylon for the annual winters solstice, the birthday of Tammuz (Baal) the sungod. Pagan to the core! And scripture forbids the acknowledgement of Tammuz (Ezk. 8:14), whether he wears a red suit with woolly hair, or a white one with long hair! Whether he rides a slay in splendour, or a white horse in grandeur! Costumes, image, and presentation are not important here! Who is behind the whole rigmarole is!
Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
What did the Pilgrim fathers believe? What did they say regarding celebrating the 25th December? What did the Puritans believe? The complete opposite of what is accepted today as the mainstream norm!
Because this is now common fact and taught implicitly it is of paganistic origin, Xmas is now justified as being Christianized in the last 100 years, as it is now a good excuse to make it a witness or an acknowledgement of Christ to the world. Or ... isn't it lovely the world is now celebrating Jesus? In other words, God has taken something unholy and made it holy! He has taken something pagan and unpaganized it! He has taken something unclean and made it clean! However, would God deny Himself like this? Would the Lord who made heaven and earth stoop this low and accommodate our traditions and mere reasoning? Is this notion scriptural and in harmony with our Makers Divine principles? Has God changed His mind?
Just a wee reminder: From scripture we can see clearly the Lord abideth faithful and cannot deny himself. We also see He cannot lie and changeth not and is the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.Therefore, who is the fickle one here? Us or Him? Who is the one who keeps changing their mind?
The Mainstream Church may have changed it's stance
over the last dozen decades or so, but God hasn't who says ...
meddle not with them that are given to change.
The contemporary Jesus or the one who changeth
not?
James 1:16-17. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
If Xmas is a good and perfect gift then it originated from above and is not of pagan origin at all. End of debate! Undeniably we all now know through common knowledge this is not the case but has been imported or borrowed from Babylon. The scriptures say if the root be holy, so are the branches. A good tree cannot produce rotten branches but only a bad tree can or will. This is a scriptural principle, and the God who declared it, and inspired it to be recorded as holy scripture, changeth not. Therefore, we can say emphatically, because Xmas is a rotten root can it only produce rotten branches that will in the end be cut off by the faithful Husbandman Himself! Therefore, can we also say, if God has chosen to sanctify Xmas to bring honour to His Name, would He be denying Himself through denying His word! Is God a liar? Who says ... Remove not the old landmark!
The Lord never purifies leaven but wants it purged out (1 Cor. 5:7). He never cleanses sin but cleanseth us from all sin (1 Jn, 1:7). If the root be unholy then it is ready for the axe and fit for the fire according to scripture (Lk. 3:9)! The Lord would never sanctify something pagan who says learn not their ways (Jer. 10:2) nor be like unto them (Ps. 143:7). The Lord never deals with imitations or substitutes. His ways are perfect. If the root be holy, so are the branches! If the root be unholy, then cut it off! If the origin of Christ mass is pagan, then so is it's outcome! No matter how cultured, trendy, hi tech, or Westernized it appears.
Got the axe ready?
Ho to woe number three - The name of Christmas exposed:
Which is the most popular gospel? The gospel of forsaking all, or the gospel of peace and good will to all men because of the 25th of December? Which is most highly esteemed of man? Those who lift up the crucified Jesus each day, taking up their own cross to follow Him? Or those collaborating with the world, decorating and celebrating the manger scene once a year, on the sun god's birthday? Or erecting a decorated (dead) tree as a celebration unto the Son of God? A cut down tree is what our saviour was crucified on. Can the tree be glossed up?
Many use Romans 14: 5-6 as an excuse to justify Christmas not realizing they are taking these two verses out of context:
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
If you start at the beginning of this chapter you can see what Paul was getting at:
Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
In other words, this portion of scripture is to do with freedom of expressed opinion ... "respect those who are babes in Christ, who have just started out, who have limited revelation!" "Give them space to grow ... don't stifle their thinking!" because:
Verse 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him ... (that is weak in faith).
However, if the person with "restricted" opinion made a doctrine out of his view when he reached maturity (1 Tim. 4:3 ... commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth) then it would be a different story as there would be room for correction, or rebuking. Paul would then call it the doctrines of devils. This is why once a person has come to maturity in Christ would they see everyday as the same, not just 'certain days'. Just as they would see eating 'certain foods' does not pollute/defile the heart (Mk. 7:19) and would be wise not to come under the bondage of keeping days again:
In Gal. 4: 9-10 Paul is speaking to mature men: But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Also, we must take into consideration Paul was referring to blipish holy days (holidays) here, not pagan (heathen) special days, which could be more justified as being scriptural than the pagan counterparts today, as they were once of relevance under the Biblical Old Covenant, but now made obsolete through the cross. The pagan days were introduced later as the Church and Roman State began to emerge, mixing the true faith with unbiblical observances instead of remaining separate. The chief of all abominations was the incorporation of Tammuz (Baal the sungod) observed by Rome as Jupiter, before being "christianized" as "Jesus", along with the pagan sacred days. Hence ... Christ's Mass! Which is now universal and accepted by Evangelicals as well as Roman Catholics, Protestants, Byzantines, and the non-Christian world together. One happy family, with one happy common denominator, would you say? A lovely ecumenical pose! Certainly not unity in truth (Jn. 17: 16-21)!
However, the name Christmas (Christ's mass) in itself is an abomination to the One Holy God, as it should also be to His 'called out' people, who not only recognize it's originated contents as pagan and vile, but the contemporary gloss and paraphernalia that's masquerading today under the name "Christian".
The bottom line ... Christ and mass do not mix! What Christmas is really saying is Christ (the Saviour - the hollowed name of God) blending in with the Roman mass (a pagan form of idolatry) can be celebrated by all, on the birthday of a false god.
Would Christ take Himself down like this? Would He allow His Name which is to be hallowed throughout the earth, to be tainted like this?
The mass, by the way, is to do with Jesus being re-crucified as the Catholic Church's victim every time it is held, where the priest has the authority to bring Christ down out of heaven and change Him into a biscuit to be eaten by the congregation. This way they are cannibalistically partaking of God. Whereas, the scriptures say we are partaking of God (feeding upon Jesus - the true bread of life, Jn. 6: 31-63) when we are being obedient to His word (Lk. 4:4). Immensely simple, really!! Therefore, Christmas must be the chief mass of them all, unifying even the non Catholic world to Her cause, against the scripture which declare Jesus suffered and died once and for all.
If true Christians are apiano coverse of this, and profess to be Bible followers, they should in no way have anything to do with this Mass above every other mass. The name Christ mass (the Christian/pagan mixture) should be utterly repugnant to them. Christ (God's saviour) and Mass (the Roman sacrificial system) are not compatible and cancel each other out. The traditions of man has combined them both (the holy and the profane) so our precious Saviour would become a non-offence to both the world and luke piano coversm Christians together, making the cross ineffective to salvation, and a non threat to the Devil and his kingdom.
The name Christ-mas should be a witness against itself, as it is not a legitimate Christian name or celebration, but Satan's disguise, masquerading as "Christian" so the elect too would be deceived, if it were possible.
Whose of a new spirit? But the elect! Whose succumbing to another spirit? Those who choose to be deceived because they received not the love of the truth!
Jay Gary Star of 2000:
"The whole world
knows that a new millennium is about to begin ... I believe soon we will
see A.D. 2000 as the most meaningful Christmas in 2,000 years.
When that starts to happen, the whole world will experience a new awakening
in light of the new millennium." (Ibid. pp. 26-27 ...
emphasis mine)
Can you see where all this is heading? My bible
says there is no New Awakening but a Great Falling Away in these last days.
It is not time to eat, drink, and make merry, by going with the flow (ho ho
ho!!); but to take up the sword (and go go go!!).