1 John 4:4 – You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
After accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord we attended a church in a very cool building. Not modern, but very cool, lots of hidden passages and rooms. Afterward it was found out that the building, long before the church was established, had been used by the KKK. The thought of the KKK meeting in the same building so many years before was quite repulsive. At first thought it would be easy to think how could a church gather to worship Jesus in a building where formerly evil would gather? After talking to elders and praying about it, I began to think that the comparison of the dark history of the building versus what it was now being used for was really quite delightful! It would have been best if the KKK had never existed anywhere, but it had. This building had been polluted by them. It can bring shivers to think of the evil spirits that once called this building home. Yet, in an open display of light overcoming darkness and love being greater than hate, the building became occupied by saints who loved Jesus Christ as their Savior. The former evil use was replaced by the incomparable good of God. Anyone who loves God will celebrate that what was once a place where evil was propagated had become a place where God’s love was now present. The evil spirits gone. All people of every race had become welcome. What evil used for bad God now used for God. Yet another win for God!
All of us were sinners, all were enemies of God, but Jesus came from Heaven to miraculously be born of a virgin woman to save us (Romans 5:8, 10, Colossians 1:21). He came knowing that He would be tortured and die an excruciating death. Knowing what He must go through He stepped down from His throne beside the Father and came to redeem what only He could redeem (Philippians 2:8-11). He redeemed us. Our spirits were housed in a body of corrupted flesh that had become the seed of evil desires. Our spirits had become housed in body that was filled with, and lusted after evil desires (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10-18). They were trapped with no hope of escape. But God loved His creation too much to leave it in that situation. He knew that we could not save ourselves (Matthew 19:25-26), so He Himself came to save, to suffer and die for us. He appeared in the form of man to eventually die a most horrible death. He redeemed our souls from a house of death (Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Corinthians 5:21). When we became born from above (John 3:3) by submitting to Jesus as Savior and Lord then our souls were freed from the curse brought on by Adam and Eve. He instantly freed our souls to be one with God (1 Corinthians 6:17) and began cleaning up the temporary housing we lived in. In an open display of light overcoming darkness and love being greater than hate, we became occupied by the Holy Spirit of God. Our spirits became instantly cleaned, all our evil vanquished, and no stain of sin upon us (Isaiah 1:18). As saints who love Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we have been washed clean. What was once a dirty soul housed in a dirty body was washed clean. The Light of the World had overcome the darkness of the world and the flesh. The love of God had overcome the one who hates us and who seeks to destroy us.
The truth of the story is that God can change the use of any building, any day, and any person to use for His glory. Peter and the Apostles had to learn that lesson (Acts 10:1-45). They learned that the once unclean pagan could be cleaned to be used of God and to be eternally united with God. The Lord called the murderous Saul to become Paul to become His apostle and to write most of the New Testament (Acts 9). Let’s remember that God can change anything, any building, any man or any date, to be used for His purpose. Who is any man to say, other than as God has said, what God will do or not do. He is sovereign and He answers to no man. So yes, December 25th was a pagan holiday but now it is mostly known as the day that the birth of Jesus is celebrated. Isn’t that a glorious thing that a date that was used for evil is now a date to celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world? Was Jesus born on that day, no He was not. Do we know for certain what day He was born? No we do not. So celebrating the birth of Jesus had its beginning by men who meant well but who unfortunately chose a pagan holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Today many have an understandable distaste for that. However as Paul learned, and so stated, we believers should not let any person judge us what day we consider holy (Colossians 2:16-17). To fight over such things is to disregard the highest laws of love (Mark 12:30-31). The one who celebrates the Lord’s birth on December 25th should not judge the one who does not and the one who does not should not judge the one who does lest they violate the meaning of the teaching of Romans 1:4. If one decides to celebrate the birth of Jesus on another day that they deem more appropriate, God bless them as they celebrated. We understand that the point is not whether a believer celebrates the birth of Jesus on one day or another, but that the birth of Jesus is celebrated. And the followers of Jesus should not designate only one specific day of remembrance, but, of course, should celebrate the birth and death of Jesus every day. Besides how does it glorify the Lord to fight with one or another over such a thing? So Family and Friends, I wish to all of you, whether on the 25th or another day or every day, Merry Christmas and God’s favor.
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”