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 - October 26, 2019

PA 2019 Session 6

An Appeal for Faithfulness in and Age of Apostasy

Author is addressing believers Hebrews 6:4-6 "It is impossible to renew them to repentance...;" (check out Hebrews 6:9-12). The author is comparing them to the generation that rejected the promised land in Numbers 14:1-45, and lost the blessing (see Num 14:37). These First Century Jewish believers had ample evidence of what was coming upon Jerusalem—the destruction of 70 A.D., being instructed in the following seven prophetic warnings (see page 12 of Conference Notes): 1. Daniel’s 70 weeks: Messiah “cut off,” Jerusalem destroyed (Dan. 9:26) 2. The warning of John, Israel’s last prophet (Matt. 3:7, 11–12; Luke 3:7) 3. Jesus’ warning: “by your words …” (Matt. 12:37) 13 4. The Pharisees’ response to the parable of the vineyard (Matt. 21:40–41) 5. The seven woes, ending in the prophecy of Jerusalem’s destruction (Matt. 23:36–39) 6. The self-incrimination of the nation before Pilate (Matt. 27:25) 7. The cry of Jesus on the cross and the rent veil (Matt. 27:50–51; John 19:30) The Seven Terminal Generations (see page 13 of Conference Notes) 1. Noah’s generation: Genesis 6:3. 2. The Exodus generation: Genesis 15:12–18. 3. The Exile generation: Daniel 9:1–2; Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10 4. The Messiah generation: Daniel 9:25–26. 5. The 70 A.D. generation: Matt. 23:36; 24. 6. The Rapture generation: Matt. 24:32–35. 7. The Second Advent generation: Matt. 24:36; Matt. 24:22

Scripture References: Numbers 14:1-45, Hebrews 6:9-12, Hebrews 6:4-6, Hebrews 10:5-17, Numbers 14:37