January 2015

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  Thank you very much for your “non-Christmas” message [the pamphlet Why I Cannot Put Christ Back into Christmas]!  I cannot for the life of me understand how people who have excellent discernment about Catholicism and other forms of paganism are completely blind when it comes to Christmas!  Many, even while knowing the pagan roots of the 25th of December festival, continue to celebrate Christmas, and they believe that people are more open to hear the Gospel at this time of the year.  But I for one know no of one who came to Christ through a Christmas celebration!  The Lord went to great lengths to show how He hates mixtures of holy with unholy things, and I cannot believe that He is pleased with this festival.  He never asked us to celebrate Jesus’ birthday, even if we had known when it occurred, and for 400 years no Christians celebrated it.

  May the Lord bless you richly.

France

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  Dear brother Shaun, I duly sent out your Pagan Festivals Flyer to a Christian man who lives very local to us, and he was the Elder in a small fellowship… I attach his response:

  “This really is legalistic, not to mention pharisaical nonsense. It is as the apostle puts it Col. 2:20, ‘Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?  Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.’ 

  “Christmas is a national holiday in western culture and may be celebrated as such.  It is to all intents and purposes a secular holiday.  Only people like Willcock reflect and give credence to historical things from the past in this way which have no bearing on contemporary society and thankfully they themselves are insignificant and of no account, although I imagine he may find supporters among radical Islamists.

  “Being of a legal spirit many years ago we as a family did not celebrate Christmas for the reasons Mr Willcock adumbrates.  It was a miserable and sterile time and we all went down with heavy colds.  A never to be repeated experience. Jn. 8:36: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed…

  “Tragically Mr Willcock et al have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  The cause of God and truth is not served by this form of legalism.  Christianity should be characterised by what we believe and do, not what we don’t do because the latter is how the unbeliever views the Christian.  Last time I attended a carol service some unbelievers were there and the preacher took opportunity to present Christ to them.  Who is so bold in his error as to say a Carol service is wrong?  Some people attend church at such times for reasons of tradition and occasion should be seized upon to present Christ as Saviour.  If they would permit it Christ and free grace should be preached in the Vatican!…

  “It is as I said, they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  It’s possible to dot all the ‘i’s’ and cross all the ‘t’s’ and be lost at the end.

England