Back to Basics

Wishing you all a joy-filled Christmas 2011!

Isaiah 9:2-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.

For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.

For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

***

Vivaldi – Gloria: 1. Gloria in excelsis Deo – Trevor Pinnock – The English Concert

***

Fort Carson in my city of Colorado Springs welcomed home 200 soldiers from Afghanistan and another 100 from Iraq this week. God bless all our servicemen and women and their families this Christmas season.

Never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice:

***

An explosion near a Catholic Church in Nigeria’s capital city on Christmas morning and the cancellation of Christian masses in Iraq remind us of the ever-present persecution and threats to followers of Christ around the world.

Please don’t forget those who have remained steadfast in the face of death — including apostate Pastor
Yousef Nadarkhani, who faces the death penalty in Iran because he refuses to renounce his Christian faith. As the ACLJ notes:

“Christian persecution takes no holiday.”

***
What are your favorite Christmas memories, hymns, and/or traditions? Share via comments or e-mails.

Where did Christmas originate? From the Bible or paganism? What is the real origin of Santa Claus—Christmas trees—holly wreaths—December 25th, and the custom of exchanging gifts? Some declare that we need to put “Christ back into Christmas.” I ask if he was ever there to begin with? The following facts may startle you, in fact, they may even disturb you. If nothing else, I hope to provoke you to dig a little deeper and ask if celebrating Christmas is a Biblical festivity. Before we get to the heart of the matter, I think it’s prudent to highlight the various mindsets believers generally fall into.

Professing Christians usually fall into three categories: 1) Few will take the time to ask the tough questions and really dig for the truth. These diligent Christians often say,” previously I believed thus; but after additional study of the subject, I no longer hold to that particular view.” 2) The majority of Christians are highly prejudiced and unwilling to investigate evidence contrary to their belief. The influence of preconceived opinion is so intense that it brings darkness over the mind, even in the clearest of light. 3) Some believers are sincere but misguided. They hold to certain traditions, which they cannot prove; nevertheless, they sincerely desire to know the will of God.

Since Christmas seems so near and dear to the hearts of the majority of people around the world, it behooves every believer to embrace the art of controversy. Usually, if one is established in truth, one does not become offended over disagreement. Controversy and disputation is not always a bad thing. That said, unity should be the goal within the ecclesia (body of Christ), and never confusion. Easier said than done.

Polemics, the art of controversy, would be endless without a sound, evident principle to determine the side upon which the burden of proof lies. In every question, the burden of proof lies on the side of the affirmer. An affirmation is not authoritative without proof. If a person says, “I believe in Christmas,” and he cannot prove that it is Biblical, his proposition fails for lack of proof. Evidence must be given before it can be refuted. That which has no proof needs no refutation. However, if an affirmer can prove his point, the objector must prove his. Every man must seek to prove that which his cause requires.

Every person’s attitude toward the rite of Christmas should be, Does it harmonize with the Word of God? Scripture is the only standard for truth; all else will be destroyed. ” . . . Every plant which my Heavenly father hath not planted, shall be rooted up” (Matt 15:13). Anything not found in the scriptures cannot be proved by them. A Christian mindset is one that’s constantly being renewed by the sovereign spirit. Thus, it is made responsive to the mind of God (Phil 2:5).

Although Christians cannot be deluded to the point of destruction, Scripture proves they can be deceived. The Lord Jesus Christ warned His disciples against those who pervert truth. ” . . . Take heed that no man deceive you (Matt 24:4). The Roman, Ephesian, and Thessalonian saints were cautioned about the same evil (Rom 16:18, Eph 4:14, 5:6, and II Thess 2:3).

No, he has not joined the Communist Party.  Popular Radio Host and syndicated columnist, Jerry Newcombe, points out that this is the goal of atheists and liberals. And they will succeed UNLESS Christians stand up to this assault on our religion by defending and protecting our faith and culture. Mr. Newcombe comes forth:

Away With the Manger?
By Jerry Newcombe
12/22/11

There’s a controversy brewing in Broward County, Florida, where I live.

You may recall, this is the same county that caused our state to be called “Flori-duh” in the 2000 Gore vs. Bush election, when “dimpled chads” and “hanging chads” suddenly became household words.

The controversy now revolves around one father, Jorge Egues, a parent of four children who attend a local public grade school.

A few years ago, in December, he noticed how the school decorations had secular symbols of the holiday and even a Menorah, but no manger scene. He commended the principal for the Menorah, but she claimed to not realize it was a religious symbol.

He also offered to provide a manger scene for the school at his expense. She said, No, thank you. No religious symbols were to be allowed.

Jump ahead to November 2011, when Jorge had a discussion with his now-10-year old son.

Jorge says, “I was discussing the importance of education with him and stated that knowledge without the principles taught by God is incomplete in developing a person’s character.

His response was,“Well Dad you can’t talk about God in the Public Schools; that would be illegal.”

I explained to him that the First Amendment of the Constitution supports our rights of religious expression. Then he met with the principal in the same month, and she said that such a message as his son had picked up was not intended.. He quotes her as saying, “Where would he get that idea? We don’t say that here.”

Jorge also pointed out that when Hispanics say Merry Christmas, they refer directly to the nativity—-Happy Nativity (Feliz Navidad).

When he respectfully re-asked the principal about the possibility of a manger scene to fit with the other multi-cultural symbols of the holiday, she again declined and added that someone from the School Advisory Council would get back to him.

No one did. He later learned that their next meeting would be after Christmas anyway; so by then it would be a moot point, at least for this year. So he contacted the Thomas More Law Center, a religious legal rights group, if they could help.

So they wrote a very polite letter to the principal, which commended the display of the Menorah and added, “the addition of a Nativity scene, which represents the historic basis for Christmas, a national holiday, would enhance this important cultural and historical education of the holiday season.”

The school responded by removing all symbols of the winter season. Gone were the Menorah, the tiny Christmas tree, the snowflakes, whatever.

A week later, they re-allowed decorations, but no Menorah. Nothing religious.

In this kind of environment, it’s easy to see how a ten year old could conclude that God is indeed illegal in the public schools.

​

There is little doubt what tone Mr. Obama has desired to set for the nation. His song has been about bailouts, spending, class warfare, circumventing the Congress with executive orders, abortion rights and the LGBT.

The President has stated his view quite clearly for all Americans to hear and ponder. In a succinct and clearly stated single proclamation, the Obama doctrine for America, as it pertains to the worldwide tensions, believed to be caused by Muslims, is clear. In a 2009 speech in Cairo he said the tension “has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. And I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.”

No one would argue that we need to seek peace with all our neighbors in the world community, but now the president has stated that we must ignore the universal cry for jihad coming from the Muslim world and tone down the rhetoric. Perhaps he’s right. Toning down the rhetoric might calm things a bit, but toning down the resistance to a universal, worldwide Muslim caliphate can never be abated or abandoned.

Muslims are doing more to create tension and a bad rap than the next dozen Cairo speeches could ever smooth over. Jihad is not a trend, a tendency or a hula hoop mentality among the Muslims. It is a way of life, a teaching of the Koran and a commitment made by almost all of the worlds 1.2 billion Muslims. These are not my facts, these are our facts, and they belong to anyone in a modern world who owns a TV, has a connection to the internet or can afford to buy even an occasional edition of a reputable daily newspaper.

Much more than policy the president of this nation also sets the tone for the general population. America grew deeply involved with its own spectacular natural resources when Teddy Roosevelt held office. The Gipper brought humor to new heights in Washington during his administration, not to mention a new interest in old movies.

More than all else, he may have left in his legacy the bravery, iron will and patriotism of George Washington that drew out the best in every American, in his day. That was something without which America would not have been sustained during her fledgling years.

Is it any different today? I tend to cringe when angry bloggers resort to making up nasty names for Barack Obama because I believe that their message is compromised or completely lost when it is biased, with nothing but anger. The messages may be all true and needful to be written or spoken, but when embellished with mean spirited appellations they tend to curve down and are all but lost.

Some of them may be true, others the president has earned and yet others are perfectly fitting in the broader scope of his entire affectation of the nation. Some call him Barry because his name in former times was indeed Barry Soetoro. Apart from all birther assertions that Mr. Obama may not have been born in the U.S.

(Editor’s Note: This story was first published on December 20, 2001. It has been picked up and re-published all over the world every year since, becoming an annual Holiday Tradition.)

He is loveable, congenial, giving and jolly. What’s more he knows everything, as any child will readily testify. He is a colorful old man, whose visits are eagerly awaited by millions of children each year and who, for a little while, makes the world a much happier place

Is Santa Claus a good influence on children, or a bad influence whose image merely commercializes Christmas and who takes the reason out of the season, as some charge?

Where did Santa come from? It will surprise many to learn that Santa Claus (as we know him today) came out of the church itself through the charity of a very devout and caring priest. Now bear in mind that this is a true, historically documented account.

Approximately 200 years after the birth of Christ, a meeting of the elders of a little church in Myra, Turkey had just been called to order. They needed to appoint a bishop but no fitting candidate could be found. So great was the need that they decided to pray.

Out at sea, a ship battled a raging storm. The crew valiantly fought to keep it afloat. Trunks were being thrown overboard to lighten the load as frightened passengers held onto whatever they could to keep from being swept overboard while others huddled in their cabins. The ravaging waves tore some wood from the sides of the ship.

“Nicholas…NICHOLAS!” someone yelled frantically. It had been noised about that a man named Nicholas, who was known to be a man of God, was on board. Out of a cabin, in response to the call, came a man with a long white beard. Holding on to the rail of the tossing ship, he began to pray for the storm to cease. As he prayed he lifted his hands heavenward. Miraculously, the storm calmed. The crippled ship drifted into the harbor of Myra.

The elders of the little church in Myra suddenly stopped in the midst of their intense prayer, opened their eyes and looked around at each other, startled at a message from God that had come to each of them in the form of a vision; they were to appoint as their bishop, the first man named Nicholas who would, within the hour, enter the church to pray.

As the leaning ship hobbled into the port and was docked, Nicholas disembarked and made his way into the village to seek a church. He wanted to give thanks to God for His intervention during the storm that could have killed everyone on board.

Finding the church, he eagerly approached it. The heads of the elders turned toward the door as it slowly opened. The stately man with the snow-white beard entered, and, focused on the altar, made his way down to the front and knelt in a prayer of thanksgiving. As he rose to leave the elders approached him. “What is your name?” asked one. “Nicholas.” was the reply.

“God has sent you to us to be our new bishop,” said another. The group joyfully fitted the surprised Nicholas with a long red priestly robe and miter.

The atheists I grew up with in Texas were a tad bit pluckier than today’s lardy hagfish atheists who file lawsuits every winter when they see a child wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Yep, the anti-theists I used to hang out with in the Lone Star state were rugged individualists who were so busy milking this existence that they didn’t have time to bleat like a stuck sheep because a plastic baby Jesus statue endangered their delicate beliefs.

My other non-believing buddies who weren’t the robust Hemingway types were usually heady stoners who were into physics, Pink Floyd and Frisbee and were completely comfortable around people of faith versus today’s reflexively irate, touchy atheists who pop a blood vein in their forehead if they accidentally hear “Silent Night” playing at Macy’s.

For God’s sake atheists, übermensch up why don’t you?

Case in point: This past week Fox Business Channel’s Eric Bolling had Dan Barker, spokesman for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, on his show “Follow the Money” to discuss the group’s anti-Christian tantrums. I wonder if FFRF has ever waddled over to neighboring Hamtramck, Michigan and demanded that the city cease using its PA system for Islamic public calls to prayer? I doubt it.

Anyway, this Wisconsin-based Christophobic group was pouting about a nativity scene in Texas and was demanding that it be taken down because Jesus was an “insult to human nature” because He taught that “men were sinners” and would one day be held accountable for their sins if they didn’t repent and would be sent to a slow roast in Dante’s House of Pain.

Dan and his ilk represent the “we will sue you” nuevo atheists who go after our nation’s Christian holidays and symbolism-but not Islam’s-because it bashes their ideas. Waah. Frickety. Waah.

Yep, according to the 21st century metrosexual atheist motif, anything that offends them should now be banned. That makes me scratch my head because I thought the atheists were the tough-minded ones who could stare death in the face and mock God and His dictates, but now a silicone statue of Yeshua in diapers puts them in a tailspin. Hello, sweetie.

FYI to the spindly atheists: You’ve got your work cut out for you if you want to scrub culture of its Christian influence because we have rubber stamped this planet via the arts and human expression for many, many moons. Have you ever heard of Bach, van Eyck, Vermeer, Handel, Mendelssohn, Haydn and a writer named Billy Shakespeare? What about the artists of the early Italian Renaissance or the tens of thousands of other artists, writers and composers throughout history who were either die-hard believers or at least worked within the framework of a Christian worldview? Are you going to take a belt sander to their works because they remind you of Hey-Soos?

You know who did atheism right? The late Christopher Hitchens. He didn’t whine or sue schools for singing “Oh, Come All Ye Faithful.” What did he do? He vigorously argued his point of view, engaged the brethren without being a shrill priss and left it to the audience to decide what path they were going to take, and I dig that kind of robust character.

Those who followed my 11 part animal series know of my love for animals. Wild Life and Environmental Journalist, Cathy Taibbi, pointed out that more Liberals protect animals than Conservatives. Given that information by her,  I pledged to hug a Liberal every day. They are easy to find out here.

I went to San Francisco last week to find a liberal to hug and was swarmed by a multitude of naked Santas. Yes, NAKED Santas! I kid you not. All they wore, both men and women, were Santa caps.  They of course were Liberals but even though they ARE good to animals, I was not about to hug one of THEM!  So I got a little behind in my liberal hugging since I did not want to SEE a behind in all its glory. Radio Host, writer and commentator, Jerry Newcombe saved the day by coming to the keyboard to give a non-San Franciso perspective of Christmas:

What Have the Wise Men Wrought?
By Jerry Newcombe
12/15/11

Two thousand years ago, wise men (Magi—-from which we get the word “magic”) from the East brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby Jesus.

Christians have been giving gifts at Christmastime since then, and millions of others have joined in the merriment.

But last Friday was an embarrassment.

So-called “Black Friday,” the big shopping day right after Thanksgiving, was marked by mobs, occasional violence, and rudeness that have nothing to do with the origins of the tradition.

The retailers are apparently happy, overall, because the sales were big and booming. They were record this year. That’s great for the economy. But it’s so sad to see us becoming such a rude nation.

Two hundred years ago, in pre-Victorian England, some activists (such as William Wilberforce) pushed for what they called “the reformation of manners.” The modern translation of that would be “the reformation of morals.” There is a link between manners and morals.

We’ve certainly lost both nowadays, it seems.

We are truly descending into a new incivility that is shocking sometimes.

For example, just a cursory look at the Drudge Report over the weekend notes some of the terrible things done during last Friday’s Christmas shopping. He labeled the day as: “Black and Blue Friday.” Here were some of his short headlines:

∙Woman pepper sprays other Black Friday shoppers “to gain an upper hand”…
∙“Competitive shopping” turns into chaos…
∙“Girls Punching Each Other” Over Yoga Pants Sale at Victoria’s Secret…
∙Mayhem over $2 waffle maker…
∙Grandfather smashed to ground as he tried to protect grandson from crowd…

Have we gone mad? Who cares if you save a few bucks, if you lose your soul and your dignity in the process?

Why?

I’m not a Scrooge, but I don’t ever shop around that time. (I’m allergic to long lines.) I do think it’s great to give gifts that show our love and appreciation for our loved ones and friends. And I fully and gladly participate in all that, but turning shopping malls into mini-war zones is a different matter.

What’s really galling is the way the whole point of the holiday is left out. The word holiday, of course, is a contraction of holy and day. That’s why there’s only one l. When people wish me “Happy Holidays,” which particular holiday do they have in mind?

Take a moment and watch our Christmas video message, from myself, my family, supporters, and friends across this great nation of ours. As we experience the joys of Christmas this year, let us not forget the birth of Christ and what it means to mankind. I urge you to seek out and offer help and kindness to family, friends and those around us who are less fortunate, perhaps hungry and struggling through these harsh economic times. And a special prayer goes out to our brave soldiers, some far away from home this holiday season, and our hopes they return safely to their families. It is their sacrifice which has ensured all Americans the gift of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; and we could not be more in debt, nor appreciative of their service. This is our family’s favorite time of year and we wish you and your loved ones all the best in this lovely, forgiving and peaceful season. Have a great holiday and fantastic New Year.

Sincerely, Herman Cain