This year, more than ever before, the Lord spoke to me about a particular aspect of the Satanic celebration called “Christmas.” This practice, He tells us, greatly offends Him. It is the use of what is called the CHRISTMAS TREE. When I would be out at night the lights from almost every house and yard offended me even more than usual. They seemed to be brighter than usual–more reflective of the power that the devil has over that which calls itself “Christianity.” And it all revolves around THE TREE. Though I did not realize it until tonight, this was the Lord’s way of preparing me to write this series. It ties in with the previous series in that the ancient reprobate named Nicolas was involved in the church’s embracing of both the Sunday sabbath and Christmas. Does the name Nicolas, as in Saint Nicolas of reindeer, presents and decorated trees fame ring a bell? Nicolas means “destroyer of the people.” Billions of people around the world have been spiritually destroyed by him because of either ignorance of God’s Truth or rejection of it.

Christmas, with its emphasis on jolly old St. Nicolas, December 25 and presents under a tree seems to be more popular this year than at any time I can remember. The irony surrounding this abomination is that some 600 years before Jesus of Nazareth was born the Prophet Jeremiah was warning the Israelites about the celebration that many in the heathen world had been celebrating for generations. After being embraced by the church it would be called the Christmas tree. Read about God’s attitude toward Christmas using the key word–Christmas. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Jeremiah wrote the following: “Hear you the Word which the Lord speaks unto you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: ‘Learn not the ways of the heathen (Gentiles), and do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven (lights) for the heathen are dismayed by them. For the customs of the people (heathen) are vain, for they cut a tree out of the forest–the work of their own hands–with an axe. They deck (decorate) it with silver and gold; they fasten it (stand it up) with nails and hammers so that it will not move ….'” (10:2-5). In verse 8 the Lord condemns such “doctrines of vanities” because they show a lack of fear and reverence for Him as the King of nations.” Have you ever wondered why billions of people bring evergreen trees into their homes and decorate them with shiny ornaments every year at the same time? Have you ever wondered why decorated trees are connected to the celebration of Christ’s birth? If God hates Christmas trees so deeply, there must be a reason.

The Lord declares anything made by the hands of men and used in any religious way an idol. For this reason He condemns such things as crosses, fish symbols, Christian flags, statues, paintings, wreaths AND CHRISTMAS TREES. In several places in the Holy Scriptures the GREEN TREE is associated with idolatry and pagan worship (1 Kings 14:23 for example). Since all trees are green during certain times of the year, the explicit mention of “green” trees refers to species that are green the year around. Such species are known as “EVERGREENS.”

During the days of Jeremiah people were making idols out of evergreen trees. During the time of Solomon the Israelites had begun worshiping in groves, thereby associating their worship with trees. Contrary to God’s specific instructions, Solomon had married hundreds of pagan women. He then allowed them to bring their pagan gods and religious beliefs into the Israelite kingdom. Over time their beliefs and customs corrupted almost the entire nation. Some of the heathen gods demanded child sacrifice in return for blessing people’s crops. As a result, the valley called Hinnom just outside of Jerusalem was dedicated to the sacrifice of children by fire. The Israelites sacrificed their children physically to such pagan deities as Baal and Molech. Those who celebrate Christmas today (myself in the past) are sacrificing their children spiritually to Satan. The series on Christmas goes into more detail about this subject.

The primary problem with the celebration of Christmas, the decoration of trees, etc. is that, in the process of honoring the Lord Jesus, people are in the eyes of God dishonoring Him. Sadly, many church people know that Christmas is pagan to the core but refuse to give it up. A variety of excuses are voiced in order to justify their rejection of God’s Words relative to the idolatrous act. Children are usually the central reason for celebrating the “Christmas season.” Also, it reportedly “brings families together.” But nothing can justify doing what God declares is against His will toward which He declares in writing that He hates. Bowing to the devil is never an excuse to make someone happy, even if that someone is our beloved child. The Apostle Paul summed up God’s attitude as only Paul can: “Do you not know that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey” (Rom. 6:16). To celebrate Christmas is to bow to Satan in an act of obedience to him, just as did Adam and Eve. Celebrating Christmas makes one their spiritual descendant.

Even though the scriptures mentioned in this series come from the distant past, THEY ARE GOD’S WORDS. The death of Jesus Christ changed nothing relative to pagan worship practices. Paganism then is paganism now. We must keep in mind that the Book of Jeremiah is primarily prophetic, meaning that its contents apply to our lives today. Note that the cutting down and setting up of a tree, decorating it, etc. was termed “the way of the heathen” by God Himself (vs 3). We are commanded not to learn or to follow that way (vs 2). The entire passage in Jeremiah10 clearly tells us that using a tree in that way is, in God’s eyes, IDOLATRY–THE BREAKING OF THE FIRST COMMANDMENT. L.J.