I refuse to let Atheists dampen my celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. I won't let the Leftists who take every opportunity to attack Christians this time of year stop me from singing what's in my heart. I refuse to let the vocal few who want to spew their hate for my Christian beliefs get their way. I will not let anyone suck the joy out of my Christmas.
I refuse to let it happen. I simply won't allow it. No, just as I won't allow anyone to diminish the importance of the birth of Christ. I won't in the same way that I will defend his teachings against those who want to remove love and kindness for our fellow man and woman from the world around us.
I can do this as I have over the years through discourse with those who want widespread hate and discontent to reign supreme in the world. I can do this by explaining how Jesus Christ brings hope and makes us better people through caring for others.
Study after study, even those studies which are conducted to the dread of Leftists, all show that Christians are much more likely to donate to charities than non-Christians. Let me put it another way, those who accept Christ as our savior and believe his teachings are more apt to help others than those who don't believe in Christ -- we are more giving and a lot more caring than those who talk about helping others, but don't.
If you tell this to an Atheist, and he or she, or them or they, or it or shim, still doesn't understand it, tell them this: Followers of Jesus Christ demonstrate love and caring for others more than non-followers.
And really, why is the Left so obsessed with attacking Santa Claus? What is so wrong with some people that they cannot find goodness in a great example of someone who followed Christ with all of his heart and soul? What's wrong with anyone wanting to give gifts, being generous and charitable? Why is it that a man who lived almost 1700 years ago, a man who gave to the needy and rewarded the good, bother so many people on the Left today? Frankly, I can't understand the malice that the Left has for Christians or Santa Claus.
Santa Claus was a follower of Christ. Everything about Santa Claus is about being a follower of Jesus Christ. According to historians, the name Santa Claus is the English translation of the Dutch name for Sinterklaas. We know that the historical St. Nicholas Sinterklaas existed and that he was a godly man who was known for his generosity and charitable ways.
Nicholas Sinterklaas was born around 280 AD in the city of Patara (Turkey) in Asia Minor. He was the only child of parents who were wealthy Christians. They were devout believers. Because he arrived late in life, his parents saw him as a gift from God. And because of that, they devoted him to God and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
After he lost his parents to a plague, to his credit, he found himself drawn closer to God. And more so, instead of wallowing in self-pity at his loss, the death of his parents actually made him more aware of the sufferings of others. He became so much aware of the plight of others that he was known to use his substantial inheritance to honor his parents and further follow Christ's teachings by helping those in need around him.
He was chosen as Archbishop of Myra, a harbor city to the southeast of Patara in what is modern-day Turkey. Of course, that was about the time when extremely violent persecution of Christians began. Though serving as Archbishop, he was arrested, imprisoned, and he was tortured for his faith in Christ. The persecution that began during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian was carried on by his successor, Galerius, for eight long years.
Following Emperor Galerius, Emperor Constantine who was the first Christian Emperor became the undisputed leader of the West. By 324 A.D., Emperor Constantine claimed leadership of the entire Roman empire and declared Christianity a legal religion. At one point, Constantine recognized the need for unity among Christians, so in 325 A.D. he summoned bishops from all over the empire to meet in Nicea and discuss doctrinal issues. Nicholas of Myra (Nicholas Sinterklaas) is listed among the bishops in attendance at that gathering of bishops.
During his life, Nicholas Sinterklaas was a devout follower of Jesus Christ. And because of the stories and legends of several miracles attributed to him, he became known as "Nicholas the Wonderworker." Yes, long before he was canonized and became Saint Nicholas, his reputation for his legendary secret gift-giving was widespread.
So why does the Left pursue attacking Nicholas Sinterklaas who was a Christian bishop who lived in the 4th Century? Through all sorts of trials and hardships, he was still known as never wavering in his belief in Christ. He did not stray from his belief that living by the wishes of God was beneficial for all of us.
Nicholas Sinterklaas is said to have died when he was 63 years of age in about 343 AD. It's believed that he died either on or near December 6 of that year. After his death, the legend of his gift-giving grew. He became Saint Nicholas after being canonized. This all gave rise to the traditional model of Santa Claus through Sinterklaas. Saint Nicholas was transformed into the legendary character called Santa Claus, who brings Christmas presents to good children around the world.
Today, St. Nicholas Day is still observed on December 6 in many countries. Here in America, the practice of gift-giving associated with St. Nicholas was combined with our celebrating the birth of Christ which we know as "Christmas." Frankly, it's a no-brainer to Christians that a holiday celebrating gift-giving would merge with the birth of Christ.
Let's face facts, Jesus Christ is the greatest gift ever given to the world. And before someone decides to write to tell me that "presents" are not a part of Christianity, please remember that presents were brought to Jesus on the night of his birth by the three Wise men. But more than that, allow me to repeat myself, the greatest gift to all of mankind was given to us in the form of Jesus. The Christ child whose birthday we celebrate this time of year.
I know I'm repeating myself, but why do people on the Left see it wrong for someone to be generous and charitable, and kind? What's wrong with living the most fundamental of Christ’s teachings, "The first of all the commandments is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment." Mark 12:30
And as Christ goes on to teach, "And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love your neighbor as yourself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:31
Christians are not perfect all the time, but Christians do their best to be the best person they could possibly be with the help of the Holy Spirit. Being a faithful follower of Jesus is not about living your life perfectly. It's about trying to abide by the teachings of Christ.
How do we do this? By doing as God has instructed us. The Holy Bible tells us that God does not care if we come to him with burnt offerings, yearling calves, thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of olive oil, or offering our firstborn for our transgressions. No, money, gifts, or sacrificing our firstborn on some sort of pagan altar is not what God wants.
It's not that complicated. In the Holy Bible, Micah 6:8 helps us to tie our following of Christ's teachings with our daily actions and our care for those in need. It simply states, "You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do justice, to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God."
So what's wrong with anyone wanting to give gifts, be generous, be charitable, spread hope and love, and show our love of God? What's wrong with any one of us trying to live a life based on acting justly, practicing goodness, having the strength to do what's right, and walking humbly with God?
I believe that there isn't a thing wrong with us trying to live such a life. In fact, I wish more people did. I wish more people were like St. Nicholas. I really truly believe that we all need to be more like Santa by following the teachings of Christ, having hope, showing kindness, remembering those who have less, helping those in need, and giving of ourselves without wanting to be acknowledged for doing any of it.
So now, here's my prayer for you. I want you to be more like Santa and get your friends to be more like him too. Let's all try to act justly, and remember who is good and who is bad. Let's all use the Common Sense that God gave most of us and not reward bad people for doing bad things. The fact is, they don't deserve it. And please understand, "turning the other cheek" is more a guideline than a rule. Being a Christian doesn't mean that we have to forgive, reward, or condone behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive. We should never reward the naughty and only reward the nice.
So yes, while keeping in mind who deserves our friendship and love, and who doesn't, let's all practice goodness, and have love and hope and joy. Let's support our troops, support the police, and try to walk a little more humbly with God this coming year.
God Bless you all! From my family to yours, may you and yours have a very Merry Christmas.
I refuse to let it happen. I simply won't allow it. No, just as I won't allow anyone to diminish the importance of the birth of Christ. I won't in the same way that I will defend his teachings against those who want to remove love and kindness for our fellow man and woman from the world around us.
I can do this as I have over the years through discourse with those who want widespread hate and discontent to reign supreme in the world. I can do this by explaining how Jesus Christ brings hope and makes us better people through caring for others.
Study after study, even those studies which are conducted to the dread of Leftists, all show that Christians are much more likely to donate to charities than non-Christians. Let me put it another way, those who accept Christ as our savior and believe his teachings are more apt to help others than those who don't believe in Christ -- we are more giving and a lot more caring than those who talk about helping others, but don't.
If you tell this to an Atheist, and he or she, or them or they, or it or shim, still doesn't understand it, tell them this: Followers of Jesus Christ demonstrate love and caring for others more than non-followers.
And really, why is the Left so obsessed with attacking Santa Claus? What is so wrong with some people that they cannot find goodness in a great example of someone who followed Christ with all of his heart and soul? What's wrong with anyone wanting to give gifts, being generous and charitable? Why is it that a man who lived almost 1700 years ago, a man who gave to the needy and rewarded the good, bother so many people on the Left today? Frankly, I can't understand the malice that the Left has for Christians or Santa Claus.
Santa Claus was a follower of Christ. Everything about Santa Claus is about being a follower of Jesus Christ. According to historians, the name Santa Claus is the English translation of the Dutch name for Sinterklaas. We know that the historical St. Nicholas Sinterklaas existed and that he was a godly man who was known for his generosity and charitable ways.
Nicholas Sinterklaas was born around 280 AD in the city of Patara (Turkey) in Asia Minor. He was the only child of parents who were wealthy Christians. They were devout believers. Because he arrived late in life, his parents saw him as a gift from God. And because of that, they devoted him to God and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
After he lost his parents to a plague, to his credit, he found himself drawn closer to God. And more so, instead of wallowing in self-pity at his loss, the death of his parents actually made him more aware of the sufferings of others. He became so much aware of the plight of others that he was known to use his substantial inheritance to honor his parents and further follow Christ's teachings by helping those in need around him.
He was chosen as Archbishop of Myra, a harbor city to the southeast of Patara in what is modern-day Turkey. Of course, that was about the time when extremely violent persecution of Christians began. Though serving as Archbishop, he was arrested, imprisoned, and he was tortured for his faith in Christ. The persecution that began during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian was carried on by his successor, Galerius, for eight long years.
Following Emperor Galerius, Emperor Constantine who was the first Christian Emperor became the undisputed leader of the West. By 324 A.D., Emperor Constantine claimed leadership of the entire Roman empire and declared Christianity a legal religion. At one point, Constantine recognized the need for unity among Christians, so in 325 A.D. he summoned bishops from all over the empire to meet in Nicea and discuss doctrinal issues. Nicholas of Myra (Nicholas Sinterklaas) is listed among the bishops in attendance at that gathering of bishops.
During his life, Nicholas Sinterklaas was a devout follower of Jesus Christ. And because of the stories and legends of several miracles attributed to him, he became known as "Nicholas the Wonderworker." Yes, long before he was canonized and became Saint Nicholas, his reputation for his legendary secret gift-giving was widespread.
So why does the Left pursue attacking Nicholas Sinterklaas who was a Christian bishop who lived in the 4th Century? Through all sorts of trials and hardships, he was still known as never wavering in his belief in Christ. He did not stray from his belief that living by the wishes of God was beneficial for all of us.
Nicholas Sinterklaas is said to have died when he was 63 years of age in about 343 AD. It's believed that he died either on or near December 6 of that year. After his death, the legend of his gift-giving grew. He became Saint Nicholas after being canonized. This all gave rise to the traditional model of Santa Claus through Sinterklaas. Saint Nicholas was transformed into the legendary character called Santa Claus, who brings Christmas presents to good children around the world.
Today, St. Nicholas Day is still observed on December 6 in many countries. Here in America, the practice of gift-giving associated with St. Nicholas was combined with our celebrating the birth of Christ which we know as "Christmas." Frankly, it's a no-brainer to Christians that a holiday celebrating gift-giving would merge with the birth of Christ.
Let's face facts, Jesus Christ is the greatest gift ever given to the world. And before someone decides to write to tell me that "presents" are not a part of Christianity, please remember that presents were brought to Jesus on the night of his birth by the three Wise men. But more than that, allow me to repeat myself, the greatest gift to all of mankind was given to us in the form of Jesus. The Christ child whose birthday we celebrate this time of year.
I know I'm repeating myself, but why do people on the Left see it wrong for someone to be generous and charitable, and kind? What's wrong with living the most fundamental of Christ’s teachings, "The first of all the commandments is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment." Mark 12:30
And as Christ goes on to teach, "And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love your neighbor as yourself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:31
Christians are not perfect all the time, but Christians do their best to be the best person they could possibly be with the help of the Holy Spirit. Being a faithful follower of Jesus is not about living your life perfectly. It's about trying to abide by the teachings of Christ.
How do we do this? By doing as God has instructed us. The Holy Bible tells us that God does not care if we come to him with burnt offerings, yearling calves, thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of olive oil, or offering our firstborn for our transgressions. No, money, gifts, or sacrificing our firstborn on some sort of pagan altar is not what God wants.
It's not that complicated. In the Holy Bible, Micah 6:8 helps us to tie our following of Christ's teachings with our daily actions and our care for those in need. It simply states, "You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do justice, to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God."
So what's wrong with anyone wanting to give gifts, be generous, be charitable, spread hope and love, and show our love of God? What's wrong with any one of us trying to live a life based on acting justly, practicing goodness, having the strength to do what's right, and walking humbly with God?
I believe that there isn't a thing wrong with us trying to live such a life. In fact, I wish more people did. I wish more people were like St. Nicholas. I really truly believe that we all need to be more like Santa by following the teachings of Christ, having hope, showing kindness, remembering those who have less, helping those in need, and giving of ourselves without wanting to be acknowledged for doing any of it.
So now, here's my prayer for you. I want you to be more like Santa and get your friends to be more like him too. Let's all try to act justly, and remember who is good and who is bad. Let's all use the Common Sense that God gave most of us and not reward bad people for doing bad things. The fact is, they don't deserve it. And please understand, "turning the other cheek" is more a guideline than a rule. Being a Christian doesn't mean that we have to forgive, reward, or condone behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive. We should never reward the naughty and only reward the nice.
So yes, while keeping in mind who deserves our friendship and love, and who doesn't, let's all practice goodness, and have love and hope and joy. Let's support our troops, support the police, and try to walk a little more humbly with God this coming year.
God Bless you all! From my family to yours, may you and yours have a very Merry Christmas.
Tom Correa
I agree. We DO need to be more like Santa. We need to do less taking and more giving. Then the world would be a better place. I just wish everyone else shared the same sentiments. Until then, though, we'll just have to wait and see. Thanks as always, Tom.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Benny!
ReplyDeleteMay God Bless You and Keep You Safe!
Your Friend,
Tom