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We Have Found the Messiah |
Dear Brethren,
We are commanded to
observe the death of Jesus Christ each year. We
are nowhere commanded to observe His birth. The deceived world of
religion observes Christmas, which is a blatant Pagan holiday with a
supposedly Christian name, and Easter, a blatantly Pagan name, which
supposedly venerates Christ’s resurrection. Those who celebrate
Christmas, have not found the Messiah.
Jesus never
commanded or approved of the observance of Christmas or Easter, but
He did instruct us to observe Passover each year until He returns.
This world, while presuming to worship the baby Jesus, has been
betrayed into accepting Pagan mythology instead of looking ahead to
the Good News that Jesus, Himself, proclaimed – that He would
return as Messiah to set up the Kingdom of His
Father over all the earth.
Jesus commanded us
to observe His death on Passover, “As often as you observe
[eat of unleavened bread]… this is my body… do this
in remembrance of me.
And as often as ye drink of the cup
[of wine]… the new covenant in my blood…you do this in
remembrance of me… For as often as you eat this bread, and drink
this cup, you do proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.”
(1Corinthians 11:24-26) We are commanded by Jesus Christ to partake of
Passover each year on its prescribed date (Leviticus 23:1-5).
Christmas is not a
Christian Holy Day - and never has been. It is widely observed
around the world – even in the most heathen of lands. Why do
non-Christian countries celebrate Christmas - even with Christmas
trees? Chinese Children hang stockings and await a visit from Santa
Claus. China celebrates Christmas – even among those who have never
heard of Jesus Christ – that is because Christmas has absolutely
nothing to do with Jesus Christ. Christmas, as a heathen
festival, was being celebrated long before Jesus was born in
Bethlehem. It is a Satan inspired filthy, fertility ritual marking
the return of the sun from the darkest day of the year. Imposing
the name of Christ on a Pagan celebration [Christ-mas] is an
irreverent violation of God's name, and, in no way, sanctifies the
idolatrous ritual.
At Christmas, we
hear of "Peace on Earth." And yet, we find the least peaceful
countries on earth celebrating it. Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad got into the Christmas spirit this year when he
delivered his Christmas Message at the same time, and as an
alternative to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II’s somber Christmas Day
message, televised from Buckingham Palace, that reflected on the
economic and political crises sweeping the globe. The queen spoke
of how Christmas this year naturally gave rise to feelings of
insecurity. President Ahmadinejad sees Jesus Christ as a prophet,
returning with Muhammad - "the revered Messenger." Make
no mistake about it, Jesus Christ is the only anointed Messiah.
The true story of
our world’s coming Messiah is not known by those who hang sparkling
lights on their houses and look to the Pope for his Christmas
blessing. Somehow the Pope gets a lot of recognition each Christmas
from non-Christians as he leads Christmas Mass in Saint Peter's
Basilica at the Vatican. It is not a matter of Christmas being the
wrong date - Jesus was not born on December 25th, or anywhere near
that date. The celebration of Christmas is an abomination to God.
Christmas denies the purpose and meaning of the life of Jesus
Christ.
The prophet,
Jeremiah, wrote this six-hundred years before Jesus walked the
earth. This idol sounds a lot like the modern Christmas tree!
"The traditions of the people are vain: for one cuts a tree out of
the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails
and with hammers, that it moves not." (Jeremiah 10:3-4)
"The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt
not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto
thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination
to the Lord thy God." (Deuteronomy 7:25)
Brethren, the Bible
speaks a great deal about the coming of Jesus Christ; both of His
first coming, and His second coming. Let’s not be distracted by
this world's false practices. Remember that Moses and the prophets
eagerly sought the coming of the Messiah. The wealth of Scriptural
information about the coming Messiah, is given to us to encourage us
to eagerly seek that day. When the truth of God's plan is actually
known, the shallowness of the world’s Christmas celebration becomes
weak and incredibly lacking in meaning. Satan has deceived this
foolish world in believing that they know the story of Christmas.
They do not know the truth. Consider the many Old Testament
prophesies of the coming of our Lord, and do not shy away from them
because of this world’s foolishness.
Unknown to this
evil world is the transcendent purpose of the Messiah. This
deceived world, which has as it object of adoration, the babe in a
manger, has not found the Messiah. Inherent in the
name/title, "Christ," is the fact that Jesus Christ is the
anointed one who is to soon reign and rule over the Kingdom
of God - over all the earth at His second coming. "Andrew,
Simon Peter's brother, first found his own brother Simon, and said
unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is,
being interpreted, the Christ." (John
1:40-41)
This world needs to know that Messiah has come, and that He is coming again soon
to execute judgment and justice in all the earth. He will fulfill all the marvelous
prophecies that have been given to us - those prophecies that the world has not known.
Jesus Christ is not coming again as a babe in a manger, but as King, all powerful and all
glorious, over all the earth - we have found the Messiah!
"The Lord
Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and
bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)
"Behold, the days [will] come, saith the Lord, that I will
raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign
and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice on the
earth." (Jeremiah 23:5)
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Sermon: |
"We Have Found the Messiah"
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