The commercial side  of  the “Christmas” marketing season is Santa Claus and who can get the best toys THIS time. The “religious side of Christmas” marketing is the historical event of the birth of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Which side do you find yourself promoting most? Jesus stated it best in Luke 9:49-51. The key phrase being: “for he that is not against us is for us.” at the end of verse 50. Keeping in mind of course that the reason for the passage was th legitimacy of doing the work of the Lord IN JESUS’ NAME! We must become sensitive to our actions and decisions that disrespect and / or belittle our Lord and savior Jesus Christ! We have all been taught in thought, word and deed to bring gifts to the celebration event of one’s birthday, right?  So you ask yourself: “surely believing in Santa Claus and giving gifts to each other can’t be against God can it?” “After all, I am celebrating the Lord’s birth!”  How would we feel if on our birthday, everyone gave gifts to each other in SOMEONE ELSE’S NAME?  How would YOU feel about some one whom YOU’VE GIVEN SO MUCH TO that gives you VERY LITTLE IN RETURN? “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” St. John 15:13 quotes Jesus as speaking about the epitome of giving in love. What “gifts” are YOU bringing to the Lord this year that You won’t “take back” over time? Again I ask, which side do you find yourself promoting most?

       Consider this side by side comparison of what each has to offer. Santa bears gifts according to your heart’s desire IF you’ve been good. The Lord lets it rain on the just and the unjust – Matthew 5:45!  Santa brings “joy” and happiness for a season. Jesus brings everlasting joy, kindness, love and consolation  as stated in Isaiah 35:10; 54:8; Jeremiah 31:3 and 2 Thessalonians 2:16! Santa warms the hearts of  both children and adults alike. The Lord replaces the stony, cold heart with a heart of flesh according to Ezekiel 36:26! Santa brings fun and laughter. The Lord has pleasures for evermore in his right hand fills our mouth with elated laughter Psalms 16:11 and psalm 126:1-3 states! And that’s as good as Santa gets! The Lord offers so much more! I mean just look at this partial list! “Joy unspeakable” in the trial of your faith, 1 Peter 1:7-9; “:Everlasting life” in Matthew 19:29. His love as a way of being in 1 Corinthians 13. A “sound mind” in 2 Timothy 1:7! A “new” and “everlasting covenant” as spoken of in Hebrews 12:24 and 13:20!  Santa Claus is a “cute, temporary fix” IF you have nothing greater to believe in! But we have the true message of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ! We must NOT let the “commercialism of worldly Christmas time” drown out the true blessing of the season! Yes, the word “Christmas”  is always in quotation marks by itself or in a phrase in this article because of its Catholic origin, “Christ-Mass” and intention, a “holy substitute for pagans and protestants” who celebrate the winter solstice. Remember, God doesn’t need man’s substitutions for that which is NOT acceptable in his sight because of the plain truth of Isaiah 64:6!

        The world’s version of Santa Claus  is nothing short of robbery to God! But you say in your thoughts, “where have I robbed God?” ”I’m offering a giving heart in the spirit of love and kindness!” But this is being done in WHOSE NAME? Remember the very first scripture reference in this article, Luke 9:49-51? The offering much of the world now gives in “celebration of the Lord’s birth” is half-hearted, polluted and filled with disrespect just as Israel was accused of in Malachi 3:8 and 1:6-8! In reality, that is what the commercial side of “Christmas” is! Godly attributes like “knowing all who are good and bad”, which is the core of God’s righteous omniscience, is one of the many areas that Satan…OOPS! I mean “believing in S..a..n..t..a”  robs God! Flight with the appearance of omnipresence is another God robber! How about the praise and honor for a fictitious character who is NEVER depicted as giving God glory! If that isn’t stealing something from God than I don’t know what is! A child that is brought up with such spiritual distractions becomes easily deceived with Santa’s OOPS! this time I do mean Satan’s eternal distractions from the truth! The harshness interpreted here is designed to shock YOUR intellect of the truth of the Lord’s birth into a state of reaction that brings God the honor and glory HE deserves and is so worthy of in thought, word and deed at YOUR hands! Let me encourage you to look beyond the appearance and judge righteous judgment! Remember, not all that glitters is gold!