No Christmas!

LUKE 2:1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

This is the Christmas story as reported on by Luke. A story that is under attack today in America and all around the world. Good will toward men? Peace on earth? What happened? Separation of church and state! Atheist sign beside the nativity scene in WA. capitol. A Christian employee in Panama City FL was fired because she refused to greet the customers with "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". Last yr a school in the Midwest was sued because they put up Christmas decorations and failed to include the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. They had to put up a special decoration for Ramadan. At the airport in Seattle, a Christmas tree was displayed. They were sued by a man who won the right to display a menorah for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

In 1967, a new holiday was created to be celebrated at Christmas time...Kwanzaa. It was created by a man named Ron Everett, who later changed his name to Dr. Karenga and began practicing African traditions for black Americans here in the U.S. The situation in the capitol building at WA got so crazy with people wanting to do away with Christmas that a group wanted to put up a sign celebrating "Festivus" which was a made up holiday from the old Seinfeld show. Atheists want to totally do away with Christmas as a national holiday...and I think it is a poor reflection on this once great "Christian" nation.

I don’t mind people celebrating whatever they want to celebrate...it is the elimination of Christmas that irks me. With all the hoopla going around this year, I wanted to take a look at what life would be like without Christmas. What would your life be like without Christmas?

If Christmas had never happened there would be…no winter family gathering......nothing to look forward to as days get shorter and thermometers fall......no Christmas gifts......no holiday traditions.........Christmas carols.......decorations.......Christmas trees...Charlie Brown Christmas specials.....no Grintch who stole Christmas.....No Jimmy Stewart and it’s a wonderful life....and...Children would have to go to school the entire month of December. Without Christmas, December 25 would be a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day!

If there had never been a Christmas, the world would be far different than it is today – in ways you may never have imagined. For instance, when Jesus came, He taught His followers to love God, but also their neighbors! (Luke 10:27). To live out this idea, His followers invented the idea of organized charity.

It was the early Christian communities that stressed support for widows, orphans, the sick and disabled. They organized efforts to help those who were dying. They built, staffed, and paid for hospitals. In recent times, Christ’s followers have founded virtually every charitable organization on earth, including the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, World Relief, World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Food for the Hungry, and Compassion International.

Without the birth of Christ, education would be very different today. Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, and almost every one of the first 123 American colleges and universities were founded by Christians. Hard to imagine those schools that now teach evolution and deny the very existence of God were started as Christian universities.