"Christmas Is A Time For Truth"

*WARNING* Keep your children away from this devotional if you still fortify the myth of Santa Claus in your home!

No Virginia, there is no Santa Claus. Bah, humbug.

I know, I know, I'm ruining Christmas for the kids.

After becoming a believer in Jesus, I stopped fortifying the myths of Santa and the Easter Bunny. I wasn't militantly against them but I just didn't enforce them.

I am just a little bit guarded against myths that entrench themselves into our culture that detract from the Person of Jesus Christ.

Isn't it odd that the two most sacred days of remembrance and celebration have long established mythical creatures to compete with Jesus for His rightful honor and praise?

Nobody competed for His position on the Cross however. Pretty tough to conjure up a character that would bleed out for the human race.

Even within the framework of the story of Christmas itself we have adopted false truths about when Jesus was born, who showed up and when, and how the miracle of a virgin birth occurred.

Even religion had to invent a story surrounding Mary to make her greater than even she would have been comfortable with.

Mary was a virgin. She wasn't sinless. Mary had other children after Jesus was born. Mary died a normal death and was not assumed into heaven without having to die.

Matthew 1:23 (AMP) - "Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel—which, when translated, means, God with us."

Luke 1:34 (AMP) - "And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no [intimacy with any man as a] husband?

Luke 1:35 (AMP) - "Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a shining cloud]; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God."

We don't have to invent anything about Mary. She was already special in God's eyes. She was a virgin. She was not however, sinless.

If there is any time of the year where we should pay attention to the truth it's now.

The Incarnate Son of God has graced us with His Presence. Full of truth, grace, and righteousness. Is there some reason we felt the need to insulate ourselves against that?

Yes. That's what sinful people do when they come into contact with truth and purity. They create fictitious and faux gods. They make them appealing to children so as to get them captivated and away from Jesus as soon as possible.

Let's have our trees and lights. Our presents and letters to Santa. But NOT before we know the truth.

Know the truth first and we will play our charades later.

Keepin' Jesus, The One and Only, in His rightful place in the hearts of man,

Pastor Kevin