”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.” Isaiah 9:6

Recently, Christmas was celebrated around the world, yet looking around it would appear that it never came at all. How quickly the season passes and becomes yet another distant Christmas memory. Before you know it, we’ve moved on to the next holiday. Already, the stores are marketing for Valentine’s Day, as though Christmas never happened. As we rushed through our celebrations, did we ever stop to think about the true reason for celebrating, or have we forgotten?

When I was a young girl we were told, in Sunday school, about baby Jesus being born in a manger and how we celebrate His birth on Christmas. Our parents also told us Santa Claus would be coming on Christmas Eve to leave us gifts in our stockings, if we had been “good.” They would urge us to go to sleep, because everyone knows Santa won’t come unless you are asleep in your bed. The next morning we would awaken to gifts in our stockings, put there by Santa himself.

Isn’t it curious the schemes Satan uses to deceive us when we are very young? We grow up thinking that we must be “good” enough for Santa to bring us gifts. If children grow up believing they only need to be “good” to get gifts from Santa, and then Santa comes every year leaving them gifts, won’t they always believe that they are “good” no matter what they have done? Is it a wonder that our society today believes if they are “good” they will go to heaven too? It’s easy to see how the deception of Satan has turned people away from needing a Savior. It’s becomes obvious how our modern society has forgotten all about the real reason Christmas is celebrated.

When I was older, I heard about how Santa has been used by Satan, as a diversion from the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Today, someone has invented another diversion in the form of a little Elf who comes from the North Pole. He reports to Santa, weather or not you’ve been a “good” little girl or boy. During his stay in your home he gets into all sorts of mischief. Then, he returns to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Pinterest is filled with mischievous ideas on what parents can stage the child’s Elf doing. So that when the child awakens each morning, they search for the Elf to see what kind of trouble he got into during the night. Does today’s society know what Christmas is about, or have we forgotten?

While these traditions are being done in fun with our kids, one must wonder about the long term consequences they have on our society. Over the years, we can clearly see the focus has shifted from the birth of Jesus, to Santa, and now to his Elf that comes to visit during the Christmas season. In many homes today, Christmas is being celebrated with out any knowledge of Christ at all. Children are taught that Christmas is all about getting gifts from Santa, if they’ve been “good,” and their Elf from the North Pole coming to visit them.

Each generation that has been taught about Santa grows up teaching their children about Santa, and adding more folklore to the story. Is it no wonder Jesus is being completely pushed out of Christmas today? Even more daunting, is the thought that very few in modern society know anything at all about Jesus, and His birth. The Bible warns us about a time like this, where people will love themselves more than they love God.

“There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” 2 Timothy 3:1-4

Does this time spoken about in 2 Timothy reflect the days we are currently living in? A day when Christ Jesus has even been removed and forgotten about at Christmas? Christmas is a joyous time of the year when we focus upon the birth of our Savior Jesus, and as followers of Christ, it is something we celebrate daily. Or, have we forgotten?

When we rise and when we lay down to sleep, with each breath we take, Jesus is the reason we have to celebrate!

If you would like to accept Jesus as your Savior, have a question, or a prayer request please feel free to comment, or email me at: malinda@truthforreallife.com

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