If Christmas is pagan, should Christians be involved?

Should Christians get involved in supporting or celebrating Christmas? Have you ever heard that argument? Why in the world would Christians want to get involved in something that was really a “pagan holiday,” that we the Church co-opted? So for those critics, I have three points.
Number one: Do you give your kids birthday gifts? You celebrate your kids birthdays, why not celebrate the birth of the Savior? If we’re not going to do it now, when would you decide to do it? That would be a question.
Secondly, in 1st Corinthians 9:22, Paul says, “I became all things to all men, that by all means I may win some.” I can’t think of a time, and I doubt that you could think of a time in the year when there is more focus on the birth of Jesus Christ. Once a year, the world is confronted with the reality of His coming. And I think that’s great!
The third point is in Matthew 16:18,where Jesus said, “On this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The idea is not that we are holding out against the world. The idea is that we are assaulting a world and they cannot overwhelm us. They cannot withstand the assault of the Church. The very fact that you and I are here, 2000 years after the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, is evidence of that. The world has done everything it can to squash the message, destroy the Word, and intimidate believers. Yet, all around the world today there are those who are singing praise, spreading the Word and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, if we co-opt or take over Christmas, that’s what we’re supposed to do. We’re supposed to seize the gates of the enemy. This is why we’re here and why this season is so important.

Gene Cunningham - December 11, 2009

PowerOfPraise #5

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Eight praise languages:

Repentance (2Ch 20:3)

Prayer (2Ch 20:5-12)

Proclamation (2Ch 20:14-16)

Resting in faith (2Ch 20:17-19)

Obedience (2Ch 20:20)

Thanksgiving (2Ch 20:21)

Singing (2Ch 20:22)

Giving (2Ch 20:24-28)

We cannot glorify God and ourselves at the same time. We rob God of His glory. Exodus generation never learned to praise God. Joshua leads the younger generation into Jericho. Rahab trusts God, but Achan took some of the plunder. Israel's Army is struck down at AI (Jos 7:5-26). Repentance through praise is necessary (Jos 7:19). Death with repentance is better than life without it. Repentance is return to right thinking (2Co 7:9-13).

Scripture References: Joshua 7:19, Joshua 7:5-26