Believing God

Although Bible prophecy does not predict events for the year 2010 in particular, it does predict the general course of events over the next decade or two, and it does contain prophecies that pertain specifically to the United States and several other nations.

Bible prophecy predicts rough times for the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in about the next 10 or 15 years.

In 2010, I expect a continuing weakening of the United States economy and military. Even if the economy seems to partially recover, it will continue to weaken below the surface. We are being set up for a catastrophic collapse. As budget and trade deficits continue and grow, the dollar will continue to weaken and the danger of hyper-inflation will increase.

If Israel attacks Iran to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, Iran is likely to attack oil facilities in the entire Persian Gulf region as well as oil shipping in the gulf with its missiles, as a general retaliation against the West. If that happens, the supply of oil will be disrupted, and gas prices in the United States will rise dramatically. Inflation and a weakening of the dollar may also cause increases in gas prices.

I also expect Republican gains in the mid-term elections in the United States Senate and House of Representatives, gains that may give them a majority in one or both houses.

As I point out in my article The United States and the World in Bible Prophecy , events are setting us up for a disaster of unprecedented proportions. That disaster will not occur in 2010, but will most likely occur during the lifetimes of most of you reading this. You can read that article in my website at http://www.united-states-in-prophecy.org.

Does Jesus Christ HATE Christmas?

Does God hate Christmas? Do God the Father and Jesus Christ hate Christmas no matter how it is kept?

Here is a quote from a post someone made in one of the forums: "To put it plainly, based on what God says in the Bible, I think God and Christ HATE Christmas with a passion. Figuratively speaking, I think it makes them want to vomit!"

Is it true that Christ absolutely hates Christmas with such passion that it makes Him want to puke?

To millions of people, Christmas represents the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. And the birth of Jesus was a wonderful event, and the angels announced it as tidings of great joy (Luke 2:8-14). To others who are more secular, Christmas may represent a time of eating, drinking, music, and the giving of presents. To children, it may represent the receiving of presents from Santa Claus.

What does Christmas represent to God?

First, a bit of background. Ever wonder what an evergreen tree has to do with the birth of Jesus Christ, or why Christmas falls on December 25, close to the winter solstice (at one time, December 25 was thought to fall exactly on the Winter solstice)? If you look up the origin of the custom of Christmas in the encyclopedia, you will find that both the date and the customs come from paganism. The evergreen tree is a fertility symbol, and the winter solstice figured in sun worship because that is the date when the days would start getting longer. The mainstream Christian church adopted the pagan customs and day and converted them into a celebration of the birth of Christ as a method of trying to make conversion to Christianity easier for the masses who were already accustomed to observing that day as part of their pagan religion. That way, the masses could keep their tradition, but with a different meaning. Instead of worshipping the sun, the pagan day would be used to worship Christ. That was the human reasoning.

But what does God say?

"When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:29-32).

Notice that God commands His people NOT to imitate pagan customs in the way they worship God, but only to worship God as He commands we worship Him. "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it."

"Thus says the Lord: 'Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple" (Jeremiah 10:2-4).

God directly commands His people NOT to do what men have done with Christmas - appropriate pagan customs into the worship of God. God has given Israel and the Church seven annual holy days and festivals, days to be kept yearly, but the majority of Americans do not keep those days. Instead, they keep days like Christmas, days invented by men, adapted from false, pagan religions, and kept generation after generation by tradition, a tradition contrary to the will and commands of God. We have become like the ancient Pharisees, whom Jesus condemned for their hypocrisy, breaking the law of God to keep our traditions. "He said to them, 'All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition' " (Mark 7:9). God does not accept that kind of worship. When we worship Christ that way, we worship Him in vain. "...This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7:6-7). Jesus called those who do this HYPOCRITES (first part of verse 6).

We are hypocrites if we claim that Christ is our Lord, but do not strive to do what God says. "But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). We can call Christ our brother, ONLY if we do the will of the Father and obey God's word, the Bible. "But He answered and said to them, 'My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it' " (Luke 8:21). "But He answered and said to the one who told Him, 'Who is My mother and who are My brothers?' And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, 'Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother' " (Matthew 12:48-50).

What does Christmas represent to God the Father and Jesus Christ? It represents rebellion against God, because that is exactly what it is.

Do you think God accepts something just because you think your intentions are good? You think God is not concerned about the details of where Christmas originated?

Ancient King Saul thought he was doing the right thing when he offered sacrifices to God from the spoil he took from a mission God sent him on, spoil which God told him to destroy, not offer it as a sacrifice. God did not accept his sacrifice or his supposedly "good intention." God rejected him as king for not obeying exactly what God told him. "So Samuel said: 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king" (1 Samuel 15:22-23).

Christmas also represents hypocrisy, the same kind of hypocrisy the Pharisees were guilty of when they broke God's commandments to keep their traditions. We are hypocrites if we claim to honor Christ by disobeying God's command in Deuteronomy 12:29-32.

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:17-20).

The quote from the forum post is from myself. I commented in one of the forums that God hates Christmas, because that is what I find in the Bible.

"But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).

What is your answer?