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20~Christmas, But I Don't Understand
Words & Music by Ed King 1996
They say that its Jesus' birthday,
But I don't understand.
He was born two thousand years ago,
And yet they still call Him "BABY JESUS"
I don't understand,
No, I don't understand.
Why they still call Him "BABY JESUS"
No, I can not understand.
I don't understand,
No, I don't understand.
Why they still call Him "BABY JESUS"
No, I can not understand.
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Be sure to see "BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS"
AND ESPECIALLY........"I HAVE A PHOTO ALBUM OF JESUS"
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Speaking of "BABY JESUS"
Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Jesus' Birthday with such heavy emphasis on "BABY JESUS"?
Well,I have...and it flat out doesn't make a lick of sense to me.
I can't think of anything that is more saturated with TRADITION than Christmas.
My guess is that most of the people alive today think that "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" is as old as Christmas, but there are a few of us still around who remember well...when Gene Autry first sang, "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" and immediately it became another addition to the Christmas TRADITION.
Just yesterday December 21,2001 I was introduced to another piece of Christmas TRADITION that really got my attention when I learned that the present day accepted uniform worn by all of the Santa Claus around the world...the red suit with white trim and the black boots was first introduced to the Christmas scene in 1925...WOW...that was the year I was born and all my life until yesterday I thought that that was ancient... well in all fairness, I'm sure there are some who think that I am ancient...with some of these far out ideas...about what is widely accepted as TRADITIONAL Christmas behavior...
None of us have been around long enough to be able to say that we remember well the first Christmas that Nativity Scenes were introduced and thus became the latest addition to Christmas TRADITION.
Not being a student of church history I don't know when Nativity Scenes first became a part of Christmas TRADITION, but my best guess is that it happened around 300 AD.
We can be quite certain that not one of the thirty-three birthdays Jesus celebrated while He was here on earth was celebrated as "BABY JESUS".
There is no basis for this heavy emphasis on "BABY JESUS" at Christmas in Scripture...and it certainly won't pass the common sense test...of even a three year old...ESPECIALLY A THREE YEAR OLD.
First, Let's see how much attention is devoted to "BABY JESUS" in the Scripture.
God commisssioned four men to write about the Life and Teachings of Jesus and ONLY ONE of the four even made mention of "BABY JESUS"
That was Luke and he only made three brief references to "BABY JESUS"
1. Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.
2. The angels told the shepherds they would find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.
3. The shepherds did indeed find the babe lying in a manger.
That's it. That's all the space allotted to "BABY JESUS" in the four Gospels.
True...Matthew used a couple verses in his account to tell us about three wise men who brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus when Jesus was a two year old young child living in a house with His parents.
Even this has been made into a part of Christmas TRADITION...INTERESTING?
Of course, Mark completely bypassed the first thirty years of Jesus' life...starting his account at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.
In contrast to the first three accounts of the Life and Teachings of Jesus, John begins his account by telling us plainly that Jesus is the Almighty Creator God who was made flesh and dwelt among us...AND...
No less than 86 times John reminds us that Jesus would be returning to heaven from whence He had come.
It is as though God wanted us to know...
That He had entered the world...
By being born into it as an infant...
That this was indeed a historical fact...
And...
That's enough of that baby stuff.
Now for the common sense angle. Can you think of even one other person in all of hunan history whose birthday was ever celebrated as "BABY SO AND SO"...EXCEPT DURING THE FEW SHORT MONTHS THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY A BABY?
Try this on your three year old. See if three year old John or Jane will allow you to send out birthday invitations to all of their friends inviting them to "BABY JOHN'S" OR "BABY JANE'S" birthday party.
Even a three year old knows that something is bad wrong with that kind of thinking.
I can hear it now, "I'm not a BABY!
Are you silly or something?
No you won't fool those little ones...they are much too smart for that game.
Some folks suggest that the "BABY JESUS" thing is for the little ones at Christmas.
But we just settled that...the little ones won't buy it.
So why do the adults buy it?
Talk about walking barefoot on hot coals...OUCH!
I realize that Nativity Scenes is Big Business...
But then so were the money changers that Jesus drove out of the Temple that day...
WELL?
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"CHRISTMAS SPIRIT"
'Never Again'
Or...
Why live in the past?
When you can live in the present!
By Ed King 12-14-2001
Why spend Christmas in a stable with the animals,
and a doll on a bale of hay,
When you can spend it with Jesus,
King of Kings and Lord of Lords,
Who is sitting at the right hand of the Father,
On the throne of grace,
Where He ever lives to intercede for you and me,
Every moment of every day,
For the past two thousand years,
And will continue to do so until the end of the world?
We have a choice,
We can be ruled by TRADITION,
If we so choose,
Or we can be ruled by THE WORD OF GOD,
If we so choose,
You will have to make your choice,
I have already made mine,
I choose to be ruled by THE WORD OF GOD.
It will never be popular,
Standing against TRADITION.
But I would rather be with Jesus any day,
Than to be popular.
I do not fear being thrown out of the synagogue,
I'd rather be with Jesus!
Yes, I would rather be walking with Jesus,
Than to be walking with the greatest of men.
That song was written in 1972
"CHRISTMAS SPIRIT" The true Christmas Spirit is the continual daily moment to moment spirit of all men, women, boys and girls who are operating their lives in the love of God...which is ALWAYS PATIENT...ALWAYS KIND...NEVER DEMANDING THEIR OWN WAY...GIVING...GIVING...GIVING...
not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas...but throughout the entire year as we are channels of God's unlimited blessings.
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Yes, It's true...
The Real Jesus Doesn't Have Any Birthdays!
The baby who was born of the Virgin Mary, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger at the Inn in Bethlehem two thousand years ago had a birthday and 33 anniversaries of his one and only birthday.
This baby was named Jesus...He was "BABY JESUS" and he was the real Jesus.
He was "BABY JESUS" for several months, probably the usual 8 to 10 months at which time he graduated to todler... and became Jesus, the todler.
He grew up and became a man and as the man Christ Jesus he was nailed to the cross where he died and from which he descended into hell where he paid the full penalty for our sins.
On the third day he arose from the grave and then after spending a few more weeks with his followers he ascended back up to heaven from whence he had come 33 years earlier.
While Jesus was still here on earth he prayed a prayer that John was inspired to tell us about in the 17th Chapter of his Gospel of John.
Here is part of that prayer that proves beyond any doubt that the real Jesus does not have any birthdays.
These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,
"Father, the hour is come,glorify thy Son,
that thy Son may glorify thee.
As thou hath given him power over all flesh,
that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him.
And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent.
I have glorified thee on the earth,
I have finished the work,
which thou gavest me to do.
And now glorify thou me with thine own self,
With the glory
WHICH I HAD WITH THEE
BEFORE THE WORLD WAS.
The Jesus who was praying this prayer has no birthdays...
He IS the Eternal Almighty Creator God of the Universe.
The Alpha and the Omega
Without beginning...
He the Creator...the Real Jesus was never born.
This is the Real Jesus...
King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The truth really bites...
Especially in the face of TRADITION...
To be at ground zero when truth is attacking TRADITION...
Is real scarry if not painful...
I am speaking from personal experience...
However, I have finally reached a point in my life where
my relationship with Jesus is more important to me than anything or anybody in this world...
Sincerely,
Ed King Ezekiel 16:59-63
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In my humble opinion...this heavy empahsis on "Baby Jesus"
at Christmas time...year after year...is non other than the work of Satan...the arch enemy of God.
The ultimate "Red Herring" as a diversion from the real Jesus...Christ King of Kings and Lord of Lords sitting at the right hand of the Father on high where He ever lives to intercede for His own...
Why the Christian Church continues to embrace this practice year after year is beyond me.
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