There have been some questions of whether Christmas celebration is a pagan -, or Christian holiday. I listened to a message by an ex-witch, she said that pagan holiday is a holiday where sacrifices are being made to Satan. Christmas, however, is not a pagan holiday because no sacrifices are made to Satan. It is instituted to mark the birth of Christ on earth. The date might be wrong, but it is a day that was chosen in memory of His birth on Earth.
Whatever name we want to call it: Christmas, or celebration of the Birth of Christ, it is worth celebrating. I understand that the heathen people infiltrated Christmas so much so that it is decorated with Christmas trees with assorted colors of light and gifts. It is also a shopping season. They don’t, however, seem to truly reflect on the true meaning of the occasion, or why it is being celebrated. Whoever established Christmas celebration, did it as a celebration in memory of the birth of Christ. Let’s start from there.
I was among the people who questioned Christmas until last year and yesterday the 25th of Dec,2018 the LORD gave me very comprehensive understanding on why we must celebrate and honor that day. I had planned to seek the face of God, not because of the season but as an on-going instruction from the Holy Spirit. As I was entering the day, I felt I needed to prepare our meal the night before. As soon as we entered that day, I began to feel the awe of the Glory of God in the atmosphere. I felt His weighty Presence. It felt like what I feel on Sabbath days when we ought to treat the day as Holy and separated unto the LORD, alone. I did not feel like doing anything: cooking, talking on the phone, going out for any shopping or even browsing the internet. I felt the awe of God all around me, like a warm blanket. I wrapped myself on the bed in worship and in praises and in deep communion with the LORD.
Then, I continued to see in the spirit the wise men worshipping the infant Jesus with gifts. I felt the Glory of God in the spirit around the wise-men and the Baby Jesus as they worshipped Him. The atmosphere of worship was on me. I ought to bring Him the gift of my life, my heart, my totality…that is more than my gold offering. It is my Myrrh and frankincense offerings. While Myrrh speaks of total denial of self on His altar of sacrifice, frankincense speaks of purity of heart. The scene could not leave me through the whole day as I kept worshipping the LORD. In fact, he was with me through out until I got distracted. He chastised me for that. We treat anything set apart for the LORD, holy.
CHRISTMAS COMMEMORATES THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.
After the sin of Adam, the first representative man on Earth: all became sin before God. There’s none righteous. Under the law, two animals without blemish must be sacrificed for morning and evening oblations, with the meat offerings and all those rituals accompanying them to host God's Glory on Earth, among His people. Besides, all manner of blood and non-blood sacrifices were being carried out from morning till evening. Once, a year, there was the day of atonement whereby, only the High Priest of Israel was allowed into the Presence of God, after making the necessary sacrifices for himself, family and for the nation of Israel. God's Glory was behind the Veil so that only the appointed Priests could access Him on behalf of the rest of the nation. He needed a direct contact with humanity. He needed a new covenant with man that would allow His people direct access to Him without fear of sudden death. It would be a Peace Offering. All have sinned, but He needed a sacrifice without spot and blemish as with those innocent animals that were sacrificed under the law. Only Him could provide such a sacrifice that would appease Him and atone for the sins of man. The nation of Israel has completely gone astray in idol worships and all manner of atrocities, and so were scattered into the wind. God needed a perfect man to be presented to Him on behalf of humanity. He wants to show mercy to man despite his sins and whoredom. He would freely forgive man if there would be a perfect sacrifice that would atone for his sins and bring him under a new covenant Grace. He promised to make such provision by Himself.
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more (Jeremiah 31:31-34 (KJV)
He would also rebuild His Temple among His people Israel and gather them again for the blessings of mankind as it was in the past. He wants the Garden of Eden again on Earth. Man would regain it through the needed perfect sacrifice. So, He had to send His only begotten Son, the LORD Jesus as the perfect Lamb of God. He came to Earth through birth as the prophesied Seed of the woman, and became one of us, as a man. He was born to save us from our sins, from our whoredom, from death and Hell. He would take the place of man’s punishment as a substitute and make us sons of God, so that through His Blood, through Him we could approach God and dwell with Him. His sacrifice would replace all those animal sacrifices and rituals. By His Blood, we shall be washed from inside out, and become like Him. He would then pour His Spirit upon us so that we could have the mind of Christ and be empowered to live like Christ. The LORD God would also write his laws in our hearts by His Spirit, so that we would know Him by His words in our hearts. He would live inside man for by His Spirit, we become His dwelling Place, His Temple on Earth. Thank God for Jesus!
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ANGELIC VISITATION
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:28-29 (KJV)
The announcement for the conception of Jesus by Angel Gabriel, through the Holy Spirit, first makes His birth perfectly pure. This shows that Mary herself was pure inside out. We see that, even though she was a virgin, she was also full of the word of God which is evidenced in her songs of praise. She understood God’s promises through His prophets and she was going to bring about the fulfilment of the prophecy.
Angel Gabriel said to her concerning Jesus:
He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
This line fulfils Isaiah 9:6-7:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this (Isaiah 9:6-7).
His birth would bring about the restoration of the nation of Israel and their King who would rule on the throne of David forever. This also fulfils God ‘s promise to king David that there would not fail him a man to sit upon his throne.
The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore (Ps 132:11,12).
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be (Genesis 49:10).
But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore (1Ch 17:14)
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right scepter (Ps 45:6).
This also is evidenced in the Prophecy of Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist at the birth of the later:
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child,(speaking to John) shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:68-79 (KJV)
Jesus is both the fulfilment of the promise and the hope of Israel both as their Savior, their Redeemer, their restoration as a nation again, and the rebuilding of the Tabernacle of David, God’s dwelling place on earth and their King. Through his birth, all the promises of God from Genesis when He declared to the serpent that the Seed of the woman would bruise his head, and through all the prophets and the law were being fulfilled. God also was redeeming the Earth which Adam sold to Satan through disobedience. Jesus was going to restore man and Earth to their original purpose. His birth was going to bring all these to pass as He would first, pay for the sins of mankind, then victoriously redeem man from death and hell and reconcile us to God as sons to share the Glory of the Father, the glory which He crowned man at the beginning. He also redeemed all the lost inheritance of man back unto him so that man will rule and reign again as king and Priests unto God, over the earth. Jesus is King of kings over all the earth and the ruler of all the spirits and man so that at his Name, every knee bows of things in the Heaven, earth and under the Earth and every tongue confesses that He is the LORD. We are then be accepted into the Kingdom of God, freely because His righteousness is imputed to us as a gift. His Blood speaks for us. All these were to be accomplished (and was accomplished) following His birth into the earth. So, His birth is worth celebrating.
ANGELIC ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE SHEPHERD:
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:9-14).
The Angelic message was good news, as in contrast to the bad news when Satan was cast down to earth, and he came down with great wrath.
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time (Revelation 12:12 (KJV).
Redemption, therefore, has come to man. The announcement was with great joy as the host of Heaven were heard praising the LORD God almighty and blessing the earth with God’s peace for Jesus is the Prince of Peace. God was making a covenant of peace with man through the LORD Jesus. Glory to Him! So, we glorify the LORD all night if possible, for the birth of Christ. It’s a great news of joy!
THE MAGI VISITATION
These heathen people recognized through the Star that a Great King was born. They followed the Star to the place of the birth of the LORD Jesus, who would be both the King of the Jews and of the Earth and all Spirits. They worshipped Him with precious gifts. This, therefore, calls for sincere worship and adoration of the King, Jesus from us and from all nations of the world. It is the decree of the LORD that every knee shall bow to Him, and every tongue shall confess Him as the LORD. We also bring Him our gifts. The most precious gift we will give to Him is pour lives, our hearts, total surrender of our all to Him. He came to save us and make us sons of God when we receive Him into our hearts. He becomes our LORD and Savior. We also bring Him the gift of our love, the work of our hands in appreciation of His presence in our lives as our LORD and Savior. These gifts will be a blessing to His House, His people and His Priests. To God be glory forever, Amen!
SONGS:
1.The great Provider (a Great Provider) 2Times.
He shall surely provide for us, the Great Provider.
2. Nara Ekele… (Receive my thanks).