Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:1-5
Power and responsibility go hand in hand. One without the other can be devastating. Many people let it go to their heads. There is scriptural guidance. When a leader stops using scripture to guide their decisions the flesh takes over and one develops clouded vision. These problems are wherever power and authority are at your job, your marriage, your household, club, church, etc. What does God have to tell us about power?
Your Marriage:
Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
Man has “Power” over everything on earth. With that power comes Responsibility. How does that effect our marriage? Men, we need to be good Godly examples for our wives, every day. We are going to be held accountable to God.
Have you ever been so involved in something that you neglected your wife and family? Many times we get this “religious mentality”, Gods work is first. Yes, God's work is first but God’s work starts at home. Part of Gods work is being the leader of your house. A good husband and father spends quality time with his wife and children.
We need to go to scripture in our daily lives, to learn how to be good “leaders” and “husbands”. Just because you think it sounds right doesn't mean it is. Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
Your Job:
Are you in a supervisory role? Are you using scripture in making life changing decisions? Can you hire and fire people? Discipline subordinates? This is a huge responsibility. You must be Responsible in making your decisions.
You are given POWER and expected to be RESPONSIBLE. There are monthly reports that must be filed. There are accounts that must be organized and dealt with. Tons of legalities that, if overlooked, could start a snowball of legal problems. How do you handle this truck load of responsibility? Recognize the power of the enemy.
Power and The Enemy:
Lucifer was given a lot power in Heaven. He allowed that power to bring pride to his heart. He wanted to be like God. He tried to take over. What was the result?
Isaiah 14:12 “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!” He was cast out of the kingdom of heaven.
Be certain of this. If you have a position of power Satan will try to attack you with a spirit of pride
Satan will use power to disrupt people in the position of authority. Power and Pride are a dangerous mix. It causes dissension, divorce, rebellion, and more. The flesh takes over and it is a victory for Satan. How then can a person in a position of power keep from being prideful?
Accountability:
They must use their “power” of leadership publicly. If a leader makes a decision in private without any one to “protect” them by questioning their motives, it is easy for them to be seduced and become a Dictator instead of a Godly leader.
A good leader surrounds themselves with Godly council. People who will keep them accountable in a Godly manner. Not a “Fleshly” manner.
Proverbs 11:14 “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.” (NIV)
“Where no counsel [is], the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.” (KJV)
Pastor, evangelist, supervisor, officer, husband, ect. Your best quality should be a “teachable spirit”. You should know you are human and you could make bad decisions that could effect peoples lives forever. Surround yourself with Godly men and women, not “YES” men, people who go along with everything you say and do because they don't have the guts to tell you, they don't agree.
If you are making decisions with peoples lives based on hear say or gossip, you need to repent! A good Christian and leader gathers facts, talks to all involved, seeks Godly advice, then acts in a Godly manner in handling the situation.
We need to hold our leaders accountable by protecting them. Covering them with prayer, Godly council, love, compassion, and lift them up not tear them down. Scripture has outlined the process for holding God’s children accountable.
Matthew 18:15-18 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
This is the Word of God. Not mine. This is how we are to handle one another. We are not to go behind each others backs and plot demise. We alone are not judge, jury and executioner. James 4:17 “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” God is telling us if we don't handle it scriptural we are sinning.
In closing, many of us have suffered from a “prideful spirit”. How did you handle it? Did you act out in the flesh or did you handle it scripturally? Proverbs 9:8-9 “Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.” Are you being influenced by a “spirit of pride”? Let me leave you with this last piece of scripture: 1Corinthians 11:31 “But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.” With Power comes Responsibility and we are protected from Pride by Accountability. I would like to thank Eddie (BigUn) for the inspiration and outline of this sermon. Thank you brother you hit the nail on the head.
May God Bless everyone this week and may you all have a Merry Christmas.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Jesus Arrives
Tonight's Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-23
Last week we explored the origins of Christmas and what it has become today. This week we look at the special gift we received in Jesus. Christmas celebrates the unique birth of Jesus, Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” Tonight we look into scripture for the real Christmas story.
Who was Jesus’ Father?:
Jesus was unlike any baby ever born. He was born of a virgin. Who is the true Father of Jesus? The Bible explains that at Jesus’ birth Gabriel, an angel of God, told the virgin Mary:
“‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’
“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God’” (Luke 1:26-35)
Jesus existed eternally in the Godhead (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), yet God the Father sent the Son to earth to become the perfect God-Man. Jesus is fully God and fully human in one Person:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Colossians 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
1 John 4:2-3 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
When Jesus was 12, He recognized God was His true Father. One day, Mary and Joseph couldn’t find Jesus anywhere. They found Him in the Temple, He was amazing the teachers with His wisdom of the Scriptures. When Mary scolded Jesus for causing them to worry, He replied:
"Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49)
Jesus knew that God was his true father. The most commonly known scripture reflecting that God is Jesus’ father is John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God”
Where Was Jesus Born?:
Micah 5:2 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days” 500 years before His birth.
God promised to send the Messiah to the village of Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary, lived in Nazareth. Luke 2:1-20 shows how this prophecy was fulfilled.
Why didn’t God send the promised King into a royal family? His parents were peasants. His birth town insignificant. His bed a manger. God was pleased to give His Son to the humble who recognized their need for a Savior. Do you recognize your need for a Savior?
Why Was Jesus Born?:
Matthew 1:21 “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Ever since Adam and Eve sin has reigned, bringing hardship and death. Sin separates us from God. Even when God was punishing Adam and Eve, He promised to send a Savior to save believing sinners.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jesus was prophesied hundreds of times throughout history. Reading the prophecies, many people expected Him. Some of the first to discover the Messiah after His birth were not from Israel. They were from the East (probably Persians from what is now Iran):
Read Matthew 2:1-23
Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of the prophecies. Jesus is the promised Savior. He came to save us from sin, all who trust in Him. The true meaning of Christmas. A day to remember the humble, innocent, life of our Lord and Savior. Gods’ entry into the world as an infant. The final sacrifice for our sins. Our gift of eternal life. A day to give thanks to God for the most precious gift ever given. This Christmas morning take time to reflect on the precious gift God has given us and give Him thanks.
Last week we explored the origins of Christmas and what it has become today. This week we look at the special gift we received in Jesus. Christmas celebrates the unique birth of Jesus, Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” Tonight we look into scripture for the real Christmas story.
Who was Jesus’ Father?:
Jesus was unlike any baby ever born. He was born of a virgin. Who is the true Father of Jesus? The Bible explains that at Jesus’ birth Gabriel, an angel of God, told the virgin Mary:
“‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’
“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God’” (Luke 1:26-35)
Jesus existed eternally in the Godhead (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), yet God the Father sent the Son to earth to become the perfect God-Man. Jesus is fully God and fully human in one Person:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Colossians 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
1 John 4:2-3 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
When Jesus was 12, He recognized God was His true Father. One day, Mary and Joseph couldn’t find Jesus anywhere. They found Him in the Temple, He was amazing the teachers with His wisdom of the Scriptures. When Mary scolded Jesus for causing them to worry, He replied:
"Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49)
Jesus knew that God was his true father. The most commonly known scripture reflecting that God is Jesus’ father is John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God”
Where Was Jesus Born?:
Micah 5:2 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days” 500 years before His birth.
God promised to send the Messiah to the village of Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary, lived in Nazareth. Luke 2:1-20 shows how this prophecy was fulfilled.
Why didn’t God send the promised King into a royal family? His parents were peasants. His birth town insignificant. His bed a manger. God was pleased to give His Son to the humble who recognized their need for a Savior. Do you recognize your need for a Savior?
Why Was Jesus Born?:
Matthew 1:21 “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Ever since Adam and Eve sin has reigned, bringing hardship and death. Sin separates us from God. Even when God was punishing Adam and Eve, He promised to send a Savior to save believing sinners.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jesus was prophesied hundreds of times throughout history. Reading the prophecies, many people expected Him. Some of the first to discover the Messiah after His birth were not from Israel. They were from the East (probably Persians from what is now Iran):
Read Matthew 2:1-23
Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of the prophecies. Jesus is the promised Savior. He came to save us from sin, all who trust in Him. The true meaning of Christmas. A day to remember the humble, innocent, life of our Lord and Savior. Gods’ entry into the world as an infant. The final sacrifice for our sins. Our gift of eternal life. A day to give thanks to God for the most precious gift ever given. This Christmas morning take time to reflect on the precious gift God has given us and give Him thanks.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
A Look At Christmas
Scripture Reading: Romans 14:5-8 & 16-19
When was Jesus born? Why do we celebrate His birth? Is there scriptural evidence of the time of His birth? Why do we give gift’s? Why do we put up a tree and adorn it with lights and ornaments? Why do we gather with family to eat and drink? Where in scripture does it tell us about Christmas? Many of the answers may shock you. For these answers we need to know our history. Lets take a close look into the origins of Christmas.
When Was Jesus Born?:
Most believe December 25th the year 1 C.E. The New Testament gives no date or year for Jesus’ birth. The earliest gospel (Mark) written about 65 CE begins with the baptism of an adult Jesus. This suggests that the earliest Christians lacked interest in or knowledge of Jesus’ birth date.
The year of Jesus birth was determined by Dionysius Exiguus, a Scythian monk, “abbot of a Roman monastery.” Here’s how ...
a. In the Roman, pre-Christian era, years were counted from ab urbe condita (“the founding of the City” [Rome]). Thus 1 AUC signifies the year Rome was founded, 5 AUC signifies the 5th year of Rome’s reign, etc.
b. Dionysius knew that the Roman emperor Augustus reigned 43 years, and was followed by the emperor Tiberius.
c. Luke 3:1,23 indicates that when Jesus turned 30 years old, it was the 15th year of Tiberius reign.
d. If Jesus was 30 years old in Tiberius’ reign, then he lived 15 years under Augustus (placing Jesus birth in Augustus’ 28th year of reign).
e. Augustus took power in 727 AUC. Therefore, Dionysius put Jesus birth in 754 AUC.
f. However, Luke 1:5 places Jesus’ birth in the days of Herod, and Herod died in 750 AUC, four years before the year in which Dionysius places Jesus birth.
We are not certain of the exact day or year Jesus was born (4 year discrepancy). The DePascha Computus, an anonymous document believed to have been written in North Africa around 243 CE, placed Jesus birth on March 28. Clement, a bishop of Alexandria (d. ca. 215 CE), thought Jesus was born on November 18. Based on historical records, Fitzmyer guesses that Jesus birth occurred on September 11, 3 BCE.
Why December 25th.?:
Roman pagans first introduced the holiday of Saturnalia, a week long period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25. Courts were closed. No one could be punished during the celebration. The festival began when Roman authorities chose “an enemy of the Roman people” to represent the “Lord of Misrule”. An innocent victim forced to indulge in the festivities (drinking, sexual misconduct, etc.). On December 25th the “Lord of Misrule” was executed brutally.
In the 4th century CE, Christianity adopted the Saturnalia festival, hoping to take the pagan masses in with it. Many Pagans converted to Christianity by the promise they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians. There was nothing Christian about Saturnalia. Christian leaders named Saturnalia’s last day, December 25th, to be Jesus’ birthday.
Church leaders had little success refining the practices of Saturnalia. In return for ensuring massive observance of the anniversary of the Savior’s birth, the Church agreed to allow the holiday to be celebrated the way it had always been. The earliest Christmas holidays were celebrated by drinking, sexual indulgence, singing naked in the streets, etc. Because of its known pagan origin, Christmas was banned by the Puritans and its observance was illegal in Massachusetts between 1659 and 1681.
Origins Of Christmas Traditions:
1.) Christmas Tree: Worshipers of the Asheira cult and its offshoots were recruited by the Church by allowing “Christmas Trees”. Pagans had long worshiped trees in the forest, and brought them into their homes and decorated them, so this ritual was adopted. Note what scripture has to say about this: Jeremiah 10:3-4 “For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.”
2.) Mistletoe: Norse mythology recounts how the god Balder was killed using a mistletoe arrow by his rival god Hoder while fighting for the female Nanna. Druid rituals use mistletoe to poison their human sacrificial victim. The custom of “kissing under the mistletoe” is a later combination of the sexual license of Saturnalia with the Druidic sacrificial cult.
3.) Christmas Presents: In pre-Christian Rome, the emperors forced their most despised citizens to bring offerings and gifts during the Saturnalia (in December) and Kalends (in January). Later, this ritual expanded to include gift-giving among the general populace. The Catholic Church gave this custom a Christian flare by re-rooting it in the gift-giving of Saint Nicholas.
4.) Santa Claus: Nicholas was born in Parara, Turkey in 270 CE and later became Bishop of Myra. He died in 345 CE. He was named a saint in the 19th century. In 1087, a group of sailors who idolized Nicholas moved his bones from Turkey to a sanctuary in Bari, Italy.
There Nicholas took the place of a deity called The Grandmother, or Pasqua Epiphania, who used to fill children's stockings with her gifts. Members of this group gave each other gifts during a pageant they conducted annually on the anniversary of Nicholas’ death, December 6.
The Nicholas cult spread north until it was adopted by German and Celtic pagans. These groups worshiped a pantheon led by Woden. Their chief god and the father of Thor, Balder, and Tiw. Woden had a long, white beard and rode a horse through the heavens one evening each Autumn.
When Nicholas merged with Woden, he shed his Mediterranean appearance, grew a beard, mounted a flying horse, rescheduled his flight for December, and donned heavy winter clothing. To gain pagan converts in Northern Europe, the Catholic Church adopted the Nicholas cult and taught that he distribute gifts on December 25th instead of December 6th.
In 1809, Washington Irving wrote a satire of Dutch culture entitled Knickerbocker History. The satire refers several times to the white bearded, flying-horse riding Saint Nicholas using his Dutch name, Santa Claus. Dr. Clement Moore in 1822 published a poem based on the character Santa Claus: “Twas the night before Christmas”. Moore portrayed a Santa with eight reindeer who descended through chimneys. From 1862 through 1886, based on Moore’s poem, Nast drew more than 2,200 cartoon images of Santa for Harper’s Weekly. Before Nast, Saint Nicholas had been pictured as everything from a stern looking bishop to a gnome-like figure in a loose long coat. Nast also gave Santa a home at the North Pole, his workshop filled with elves, and his list of the good and bad children of the world.
All Santa was missing was his red outfit. In 1931, the Coca Cola Corporation contracted Swedish artist Haddon Sundblom to create a coke-drinking Santa. He modeled his Santa on his friend Lou Prentice, chosen for his cheerful, chubby face. The corporation insisted that Santa’s fur-trimmed suit be bright, Coca Cola red. And Santa was born, a blend of Christian crusader, pagan god, and commercial idol.
The true origin of Christmas is filled with controversy and compromise. Research will reveal a number of disturbing roots. The Christmas we celebrate today suggests the willingness of Christians to absorb the world's customs and traditions. We forget its simple roots in the historical reality of Jesus Christ.
Christmas should be nothing more than a simple, yet wonderful reminder of Christ's humble beginning as a human child in this world. His birth merely set the stage for the power, glory, and salvation that would be revealed in His life, death, and resurrection.
Whether it's December 25th, sometime in late September, or any other day of the year, we should use each and every opportunity to reflect on Jesus Christ and His message of hope for all of us.
In closing I would like to leave you with a piece of God's Word.:
1 Corinthians 10:31-33 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
When was Jesus born? Why do we celebrate His birth? Is there scriptural evidence of the time of His birth? Why do we give gift’s? Why do we put up a tree and adorn it with lights and ornaments? Why do we gather with family to eat and drink? Where in scripture does it tell us about Christmas? Many of the answers may shock you. For these answers we need to know our history. Lets take a close look into the origins of Christmas.
When Was Jesus Born?:
Most believe December 25th the year 1 C.E. The New Testament gives no date or year for Jesus’ birth. The earliest gospel (Mark) written about 65 CE begins with the baptism of an adult Jesus. This suggests that the earliest Christians lacked interest in or knowledge of Jesus’ birth date.
The year of Jesus birth was determined by Dionysius Exiguus, a Scythian monk, “abbot of a Roman monastery.” Here’s how ...
a. In the Roman, pre-Christian era, years were counted from ab urbe condita (“the founding of the City” [Rome]). Thus 1 AUC signifies the year Rome was founded, 5 AUC signifies the 5th year of Rome’s reign, etc.
b. Dionysius knew that the Roman emperor Augustus reigned 43 years, and was followed by the emperor Tiberius.
c. Luke 3:1,23 indicates that when Jesus turned 30 years old, it was the 15th year of Tiberius reign.
d. If Jesus was 30 years old in Tiberius’ reign, then he lived 15 years under Augustus (placing Jesus birth in Augustus’ 28th year of reign).
e. Augustus took power in 727 AUC. Therefore, Dionysius put Jesus birth in 754 AUC.
f. However, Luke 1:5 places Jesus’ birth in the days of Herod, and Herod died in 750 AUC, four years before the year in which Dionysius places Jesus birth.
We are not certain of the exact day or year Jesus was born (4 year discrepancy). The DePascha Computus, an anonymous document believed to have been written in North Africa around 243 CE, placed Jesus birth on March 28. Clement, a bishop of Alexandria (d. ca. 215 CE), thought Jesus was born on November 18. Based on historical records, Fitzmyer guesses that Jesus birth occurred on September 11, 3 BCE.
Why December 25th.?:
Roman pagans first introduced the holiday of Saturnalia, a week long period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25. Courts were closed. No one could be punished during the celebration. The festival began when Roman authorities chose “an enemy of the Roman people” to represent the “Lord of Misrule”. An innocent victim forced to indulge in the festivities (drinking, sexual misconduct, etc.). On December 25th the “Lord of Misrule” was executed brutally.
In the 4th century CE, Christianity adopted the Saturnalia festival, hoping to take the pagan masses in with it. Many Pagans converted to Christianity by the promise they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians. There was nothing Christian about Saturnalia. Christian leaders named Saturnalia’s last day, December 25th, to be Jesus’ birthday.
Church leaders had little success refining the practices of Saturnalia. In return for ensuring massive observance of the anniversary of the Savior’s birth, the Church agreed to allow the holiday to be celebrated the way it had always been. The earliest Christmas holidays were celebrated by drinking, sexual indulgence, singing naked in the streets, etc. Because of its known pagan origin, Christmas was banned by the Puritans and its observance was illegal in Massachusetts between 1659 and 1681.
Origins Of Christmas Traditions:
1.) Christmas Tree: Worshipers of the Asheira cult and its offshoots were recruited by the Church by allowing “Christmas Trees”. Pagans had long worshiped trees in the forest, and brought them into their homes and decorated them, so this ritual was adopted. Note what scripture has to say about this: Jeremiah 10:3-4 “For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.”
2.) Mistletoe: Norse mythology recounts how the god Balder was killed using a mistletoe arrow by his rival god Hoder while fighting for the female Nanna. Druid rituals use mistletoe to poison their human sacrificial victim. The custom of “kissing under the mistletoe” is a later combination of the sexual license of Saturnalia with the Druidic sacrificial cult.
3.) Christmas Presents: In pre-Christian Rome, the emperors forced their most despised citizens to bring offerings and gifts during the Saturnalia (in December) and Kalends (in January). Later, this ritual expanded to include gift-giving among the general populace. The Catholic Church gave this custom a Christian flare by re-rooting it in the gift-giving of Saint Nicholas.
4.) Santa Claus: Nicholas was born in Parara, Turkey in 270 CE and later became Bishop of Myra. He died in 345 CE. He was named a saint in the 19th century. In 1087, a group of sailors who idolized Nicholas moved his bones from Turkey to a sanctuary in Bari, Italy.
There Nicholas took the place of a deity called The Grandmother, or Pasqua Epiphania, who used to fill children's stockings with her gifts. Members of this group gave each other gifts during a pageant they conducted annually on the anniversary of Nicholas’ death, December 6.
The Nicholas cult spread north until it was adopted by German and Celtic pagans. These groups worshiped a pantheon led by Woden. Their chief god and the father of Thor, Balder, and Tiw. Woden had a long, white beard and rode a horse through the heavens one evening each Autumn.
When Nicholas merged with Woden, he shed his Mediterranean appearance, grew a beard, mounted a flying horse, rescheduled his flight for December, and donned heavy winter clothing. To gain pagan converts in Northern Europe, the Catholic Church adopted the Nicholas cult and taught that he distribute gifts on December 25th instead of December 6th.
In 1809, Washington Irving wrote a satire of Dutch culture entitled Knickerbocker History. The satire refers several times to the white bearded, flying-horse riding Saint Nicholas using his Dutch name, Santa Claus. Dr. Clement Moore in 1822 published a poem based on the character Santa Claus: “Twas the night before Christmas”. Moore portrayed a Santa with eight reindeer who descended through chimneys. From 1862 through 1886, based on Moore’s poem, Nast drew more than 2,200 cartoon images of Santa for Harper’s Weekly. Before Nast, Saint Nicholas had been pictured as everything from a stern looking bishop to a gnome-like figure in a loose long coat. Nast also gave Santa a home at the North Pole, his workshop filled with elves, and his list of the good and bad children of the world.
All Santa was missing was his red outfit. In 1931, the Coca Cola Corporation contracted Swedish artist Haddon Sundblom to create a coke-drinking Santa. He modeled his Santa on his friend Lou Prentice, chosen for his cheerful, chubby face. The corporation insisted that Santa’s fur-trimmed suit be bright, Coca Cola red. And Santa was born, a blend of Christian crusader, pagan god, and commercial idol.
The true origin of Christmas is filled with controversy and compromise. Research will reveal a number of disturbing roots. The Christmas we celebrate today suggests the willingness of Christians to absorb the world's customs and traditions. We forget its simple roots in the historical reality of Jesus Christ.
Christmas should be nothing more than a simple, yet wonderful reminder of Christ's humble beginning as a human child in this world. His birth merely set the stage for the power, glory, and salvation that would be revealed in His life, death, and resurrection.
Whether it's December 25th, sometime in late September, or any other day of the year, we should use each and every opportunity to reflect on Jesus Christ and His message of hope for all of us.
In closing I would like to leave you with a piece of God's Word.:
1 Corinthians 10:31-33 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
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