Tonight's the next point in the doctrine series, and it's titled Pagan Holidays. It's something that we need to say whatever the scripture says about it. We mean no offense to anyone. We don't bring it up because it was an agenda of our own. It's the Lord's timing, it was in a list of things and here it is. And normally I would purposely choose not to say anything at this time. I think people can generally receive things apart from feelings, I mean naturally speaking, when they're disconnected from the circumstance itself. I like maybe talking about this in July. But that's not how it's gonna be tonight. But we don't mean anyone any offense. But if that's what occurs, then we'll just have to be that way. We can't change anything about this. I hope it'll be a blessing and a help and make us to think about what's going on all around us. It is the 54th article in our confession of faith reads very simply like this, pagan holidays ought to be shunned and not observed by the Lord's churches. There is no such commandment in the Holy Scriptures. Holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and Valentine's are clearly of pagan origin and have no basis in the scriptures for their wicked and ungodly observances. We reject the celebration of these pagan holidays in the meeting place of the church." And there are three references given. Four. and I'll cite one tonight and use some others. Years ago, this church celebrated all of these holidays. It was about the year 1986 that we began to withdraw all corporate participation in all of these holidays. Then each family was left to decide for themselves whether they would or would not participate in them. Obviously some chose to continue observing them and some chose not to. Though we never made a formal decision, I want you to notice that, we never decided anything as a church. The church stopped having holiday parties as well as decorating in and around our meeting place. And it's been that way to this day. Some of you Though not members of this church at that time, I know that you also went through the same things that we did in your congregation. And I think it's amazing how the Lord works. At the time when this church made these changes, Luann and I, my wife and I, were in our late 20s. I was 29. We had two small children. We had become convinced about the evil origins of the holidays and we became convicted that not only should they not be in the church's meeting place, but not in our home either. So we set out to make some changes. It probably worked like this for you too. The holiday that was especially difficult to get clear of was Christmas. Now, our sons were, at the time, three and six years old, and they weren't going to understand what dad and mom were doing, no matter what we did. They weren't going to understand it. What we did, and I really think this was part of Luanne's nurturing, the motherly part, a dad would just go, okay, that's it. But she, I'm sure she had this, and I thought it was a good idea, and we did it. We decided to diminish the appearance of the holiday in our house from our lives over a three-year period. You might not remember it quite like it was because it was so long ago. We're talking about over 30 years ago. But first, I believe that we reduced the size of the tree. And then we removed it altogether. And then the decorations were less and less. And finally, we stopped with the gift giving. And I gotta tell you, it took some real resolve. Because as you all know, that's everywhere. It's in your face. It's kind of like a bad habit. Any habit at all, but especially a bad habit. It's not until you try to quit that you find out how strongly it has a hold of you. It's the truth. And add to this the fact that folks were confused about what we were doing. It's just fun. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know all about that, but we don't really do those kinds of things. We don't follow the gods and all that. You hear, you've heard it all. It's the spirit that counts, you see? And if they didn't say it out loud, they certainly, by the looks on their faces, they certainly thought that how can you be a Christian and not celebrate Easter and Christmas of all the holidays? And that's the way it is. You still have it. All these years later, it's still the same. It hasn't changed. But what it did do when we stopped is it provided an opportunity to share the gospel of Christ every single year as I went about in my work. I went to all the offices, a lot of offices in Anchorage, in the Eagle River, and in the Palmer, and finally in the Wasilla. And every year, guess what would happen? it would come up. And I'd get to talk to someone about the Lord. It's just, how can you not? And I don't know if it, I don't ever, I didn't know the end of all of that. There were some that showed some real interest. But you gotta face it, it's always there. And it does take grace and some wisdom to learn how to respond to others when they say, Merry Christmas. What do you say? I got to where I just go, well, thank you. And go on, for the most part. The cashiers always would have you finished with your Christmas shopping. And it's true. Yes, we've done all the Christmas shopping we're gonna do. We weren't lying, but sometimes you just can't get into it. But folks didn't understand it. Brethren didn't understand it. As far as I know, none of my own kinsmen in the flesh understand it. None of them. But that's okay. But I mean no offense by taking this stand. I don't mean by that that I'm better than anybody else. You don't mean that either. But we have to take a stand because we see this in the Word of God. We see that it did originate from paganism, and we're gonna go through this in just a moment. I personally cannot in good conscience recommend any of these holidays that we just mentioned to anyone. I cannot recommend them. And I would really resist having any kind of a show of these things in our building and our property. And it won't be in my house. You can do what you want to, but that's where we are. I want to first of all just briefly consider the word holiday. The English word holiday is either the combination of two words in scripture, and that's the important point. It's holy day, two words, or it's even brought together as one, holy day. And so we've shortened it, Englishized it or whatever, to holiday, holiday. And there's a number of scriptures, but in the Bible, The holy day or holiday refers to the seventh day Sabbath and to the Sabbaths or feasts that God gave to national Israel to observe. I want you to notice that. It has nothing whatsoever to do with what we think of as holidays today. Nothing. In Exodus, I'll just prove this for a moment. That's important. We make statements. What we need to do is prove what we're saying. There's some times where I can't prove what I'm about to say. You know what I do? Delete it. I can't. I can't prove it. It sounds good. And how many times that happens? I just have to let her go. I want to prove what I just said. It refers to the seventh day Sabbath in Exodus 35 too. Other places as well. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, that's a holiday, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Now, the next reference will be to, let me just read one or three I have. It refers to the holy day as a feast of the Lord. And that's Nehemiah chapter 10, verse 31. Nehemiah 10, 31. I want to just mention these. Psalm 42, verse 4. And John 19, 31, there is a high day and it means a great day, it's a holiday in Israel. So Nehemiah 10, 31, let's read that one. And if the people of the land bring ware of any vittles on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the Sabbath or on the holy day, the holiday of Israel, and that we would leave the seventh year and the exaction of every debt. So those are the only two ways that holiday is referenced in the word of God. Referring to these same holidays, The Apostle Paul in the New Testament, Colossians chapter two, verses 16 and 17. There, the Apostle Paul would have the saints not to be condemned on account of their refusal to participate in those Israeli holidays. In Colossians two, verse 16 and 17. I'm doing this for a reason, because scripture's reference to holidays refers to Israel's Sabbaths. It has nothing to do with what we call holidays today. You need to make that distinction and move into that. Colossians 2.16, let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy day, in holiday, meaning a feast. It's translated feast 26 times. Only this once is it translated holiday. But we understand now what that is. Don't let them judge you in respect of a holiday, or of a new moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, but the bodies of Christ. So, what we have determined is that the holidays in scripture refers to the seventh day Sabbath, and to the various feasts of the Lord, and they have nothing whatsoever to do with Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, or Christmas. So what of these holidays? Does the Bible refer to them? Yes, it does. But it's never in a good light. Because there are things which the heathen did as they worshiped their gods. The Lord, and I want to prove it, the Lord warned His people, Israel, in the Old Testament, He had warned them against worshiping their gods and taking up their practices. Now that's important. Exodus chapter 23, verse 24. Exodus 23, verse 24. then close by will be Leviticus 18 verse 3. Exodus 23 verse 24, thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them and this, nor do after their works. That's what we're talking about, but thou shalt utterly overthrow them and quite break down their images. Leviticus 18 verses 3 and 4. It's the same thing, the same tenor. Leviticus 18 verses 3 and 4. After the doings of the land of Egypt, which is a type of the world, after the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do? And after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do? Ye shall do my judgments and keep mine ordinances to walk therein. I am the Lord your God. And finally, And we'll come back to this one. I don't read the whole thing, but in Jeremiah chapter 10 verses two and three, I just want to note that they were not to take up what the customs, the top customs, or as it is translated in other places, many times as statute or right. or ordinance, or the manner. You're not to take up the customs of the people, meaning of the heathen, those that do not believe in God among the nations. Notice this in Jeremiah 10, two and three. 10 verses two and three, thus said the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people," referring to the heathen, for the customs of the people are vain. We need to note that. in Deuteronomy 12, verse 30, and then I wanna give one New Testament scripture, but there are a couple of others, and maybe I can show that in a moment. But in Deuteronomy 12, verse 30, to Israel again, take heed to thyself, that thou be not snared by following them. after that they be destroyed from before thee, and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, how did these nations serve their God? With the intent to do the same thing. And it was very interesting because Israel went further than they did in that. And I think Christians today, they really are so up to their eyeballs in these holidays. Easter and Christmas is unbelievable. I think they promote them more than the world does anymore. Quite interesting, but even so, even so will I do likewise. Anyway, Deuteronomy chapter 12, 30. New Testament, in First Peter chapter four, verse three and four. First Peter four, verses three and four. You know, and basically he's saying, before Christ, that's how you live. But since Christ, it ought to be different. for the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness, lust, excess of wine, reveling, banqueting, and abominable idolatries wherein, and that's what's involved in these hollows. You see, I don't get drunk. No, but all this partying and the attitude is all a part of it. It's all filled with this, and we partake with them in it. We promote it. Wherein they think, and it's true, they think it's strange. If we take a stand on the scripture, they think it's strange that you're running out with them to the same excessive riot, speaking evil of you. And that's exactly what'll happen when you stand for Christ on this matter, a very simple matter. Let me share some things about these holidays. We said they are a pagan origin. Let me show that. This is, brethren, I think you all know this is common knowledge. I'm not going into a lot of stuff. It's common knowledge. The world knows this. These aren't Christians that I grabbed these out. I've got citations. They're not Christians at all. It wasn't even written with that kind of a background. This is what they said about these things. There are a couple of things that, for example, the very first one especially, about Rome. I want you to notice these things. When Rome embraced Christianity, about the year 300 AD, the early church fathers decided it was better to incorporate, they knew what they were doing, to incorporate certain aspects of pagan festivals That's what these are, into the faith, rather than attempt to abolish them altogether. They did wrong. Some scholars, another one says, some scholars suspect that Christians chose to celebrate Christ's birth on December 25th to make it easier to convert the pagan tribes. Another one, many pagan festivals revolved, and this is a fact, revolved around nature and the changing of the seasons. You have to be blind not to see that. Even those that don't know Christ know this. Another, in part, the Christmas celebration was introduced by the early church in order to make the conversion of pagan Romans to Christianity easier. It didn't any such thing. All it did was confuse Christianity and thus you have the system of Babylon. Most of the most important gods of the religions of Ishtar and Mithra had their birthdays on what day? December 25th. Various Christmas traditions are considered to have been absorbed from winter festivals and we'll see that. Another, in an attempt to keep followers from celebrating pagan traditions, Christians, and here's the word, repurposed many of the traditions surrounding this time of year. They repurposed it. So a brief consideration of each holiday, these four, and its pagan origins. One says, it has been hypothesized that Graco-Roman holidays devoted to fertility and love might be related to St. Valentine's Day since there is some correspondence between the time when they were celebrated. Another, on the ancient Athenian calendar, the period between mid-January, so obvious, and mid-February was the month of, I may not say this correctly, Gamaliel. dedicated to the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera, matter of history. Another, in the fifth century, Pope Galatius I combined St. Valentine's Day with Lupercalia in an attempt to get rid of pagan traditions. Well, they didn't get rid of it, they just brought it into what they thought was a Christian church at the time. Lupercalia was an ancient, possibly pre-Roman pastoral annual festival observed in the city of Rome between the 13th and 15th of February to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and guess what? Fertility. It's always part of it. I could go on. want to give you this because it's under Valentine's Day. In classical mythology, Cupid, meaning desire, is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction, and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the war god Mars. He is also known in Latin as Amor, Amorous, from which we have our word Amorous. His Greek counterpart is Eros. Now that dates back to 700 BC. Valentine's Day. combines, when you think about Catholicism and when you talk about Saint Valentine's Day, the Catholic Church took someone that was dead and they decided it's time for them to become a saint. That's what they mean. And so there is a time when they venerate the saints. Actually, it's a worship of the dead. It's a worship of these people that have died. and somehow or the other become saints. But the truth is that we are saints now, called saints, to the saints that be at Rome. And we're not dead. We're saints already. Valentine's Day combines the veneration of two Catholics that were granted sainthood with elements of Greek mythology. Now I wanna just briefly on each point, Easter, please follow me carefully. And I have a much more lengthy study. We even spent time reworking it this week because I didn't say things quite like I needed to under the subject of Easter. Easter, the etymology of the word, it's found one time in the Bible, one time. Acts, look at it, we're going to that in just a moment. Acts chapter 12, verses two and three. You might have to hold that, I thought it was sooner than that. We'll get to Acts chapter 12, verses two and three. That's where, in verse four, that word is found, Easter. The etymology of Easter does, in fact, refer to pagan practices, quoting, The word Easter is of Saxon origin and is supposed to be derived from joster, E-O-S-T-R-E. I don't know exactly how to say that. which is the goddess of love or the Venus of the North, in honor of whom a festival was celebrated by our pagan ancestors in the month of April. Now that's Barnes, Albert Barnes. These are quotations from biblical citations here of men that I know. I believe say some very good things. This comes from a rather large book, Church History, by C.B. Hassel and Sylvester Hassel, a very good book filled with great things. They write this, the word Easter in the right is derived from yester, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring to whom the fourth month, answering to our April, was dedicated. The ninth edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica well remarks, notices, the ecclesiastical historian Socrates states with perfect truth that neither Christ nor His apostles enjoined the keeping of this or any other festival. The sanctity of special times or places was an idea quite alien from the early Christian mind. Now, I might have you backing up a little bit, well, what about this reference of Easter in the Bible? And we're gonna get to that. But notice, first of all, its pagan origin. Easter itself came from the masses. We're not going to spend near as much time on Christmas. We're just going to move through. Easter itself came from the masses of the heathen, especially among the Germanic tribes. It was the name of a goddess among many gods. She was celebrated in the springtime, as Jesus already said. springtime of the vernal equinox. This is when the sun begins to overtake darkness. More light to the day. The time is about March 21st. Quoting Christians later adopted what are called hot cross buns. There was a bread that they would make in the shape of a cross And what they did, it became so part of Catholicism and such, even Protestantism, that they repurposed that symbol that was dedicated to this goddess, just like they did with the other pagan springtime customs, such as bunnies and eggs, which are tokens for fertility and birth. Now, I want you to really, really pay attention to this point. Easter. The Bible's use of the word. The word Easter is only found once in our Bible, King James Version Bible. I didn't make this reference, but it was up to 27 times in the very earlier versions. Wycliffe didn't, but Tyndale referred to it 27 times, and another 27 or 24. There were Geneva Bibles and such. They did. But what happened, as they saw what was going on, they began to strip it out. And one of the versions did exactly that, but there was one left here. And I think it can, it's kind of useful to have it there so we could talk about this, but it's found that one time in Acts chapter 12, verses three and four. But I need you to look for yourselves. It is translated from the Greek Pascha. Pascha. And it's only that one time translated Easter. The other 28 times is translated Passover. Passover. Now that's significant. In this place, where Easter is translated from Pascha, it is synonymous with the feast of unleavened bread. The truth is, that Easter does not refer to the resurrection of Jesus Christ at all. Notice that in Acts chapter 12, verses one through four. Now about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church, and he killed James the brother of John with the sword, the apostle. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, He proceeded further to take Peter also. Then were the days of unleavened bread. That is also the same as Passover. And you'll have other scriptures that say they are both one and the same. They could be called by the same, this festival time, what could be called Passover or unleavened bread, Feast of Unleavened Bread. And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after what? After Easter, Passover, to bring him forth to the people. Now, what we have come to think of Easter today is the result of centuries of Catholic and Protestant tradition. There was Brethren, listen so closely to this. There was no such thing as Easter as we think of it today for Christians in the days of the apostles, or in the days when the history of the book of Acts was written, and frankly, during the entire period of the New Testament when the scriptures were written, and for another 600 years. after that. We must get that point or we're going to be confused. Let me quote these two The word Easter now denotes the festival observed by many Christian churches in honor of the resurrection of the Savior. But this man says this, Albert Barnes, but the original has no reference to that, nor is there the slightest evidence that any such festival was observed at that time when this book, referring to Acts, was written. That's significant. And another one. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. I don't normally quote my sources. I'd rather you just find them for yourselves. I like what Brother Beth says, people get to think you're so smart when you do that. I ain't that, and I don't pretend to be. The word does not properly occur in Scripture, although the authorized version has it in Acts 12, verse 4, where it stands for Passover. He says this, there is no trace of Easter celebration in the New Testament. That's it. It's true. It couldn't be stated clearer or better. It was about the year 603 A.D. that religionists began merging pagan practices, this is one of which Easter was one, and Christmas as well, into Christianity. I'll show you. Citing this one, again to the church history book by Hassel, the Hassel brothers, The old pagan temples, what did they do? These so-called church fathers, the Catholicism, the old pagan temples were consecrated by being sprinkled with holy water and by having the saints' relics put in place of the idols. And the old heathen festivals such as Yule, that's Christmas, and Easter were transformed into so-called Christian festivals. That's the way it is. Now, I think we understand it clear enough. Now, I do want you to, if, well, let's just make a couple of remarks here. Halloween originated under the name of Samhain as a pagan festival. It should be obvious just seeing what's going on among the Celts of Ireland and Great Britain. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the 19th century. Other Western countries embraced the holiday in the late 20th century. The origin of the name Halloween is from All Hallows' Eve, or the Even of All Saints Day, which is a Catholic feast day celebrated on the 1st of November. That's just a worldly person, he just lays it out there, doesn't know the Lord or anything like that. He's just laying it out there, published it. Halloween originated from a Celtic festival called Samhain, which was celebrated 2,000 years ago and revolving around lighting bonfires and wearing costumes, for what reason? To ward off spirits. and fairies. These things, they believed them. They took them seriously. I watched something yesterday. I think you go through Facebook, you don't have to do anything. It just starts playing those things, right? And I watched them, and they're celebrating this thing going on in China. Look, it looks like fun and games, but they're crying, they're lighting their piles of incense. They take this seriously. They want to be blessed for another year. They want good fortune to come from this. They're serious. And I'll tell you what, people here are too. Try to take it away from them and see what they'll do. Then you'll find out they'll take it seriously. We're touching a holy cow here with even Christians. We know that. We can go on. That's that. I've got more to say. That's okay. Let me get to Christmas. Not saying much. Well, not very much. But it really will come to an end quickly. Quoting, some scholars, this is just the world, some scholars suspect that Christians chose to celebrate Christ's birth on December 25th to make it easier to convert to pagan tribes. We've read that already earlier. Another one, while there is some debate, many historians tell that pagans celebrated the winter solstice. would decorate their houses with evergreen trees and mistletoe. As a matter of fact, this has been going on a long time. Going on, he says, the colors green and red, along with the singing, were also part of pagan traditions. Referring to the Yule log, and if I understand it right, it's just burning up your pine tree. They would take the whole tree and stick it in the stump in the fire, and they'd just keep feeding it in like that. They did that, but there was a reason. There was something behind it. In Scandinavia, referring to the Yule Log, this was known as the Yule Log and originally had a pagan significance. After the Christianization of Scandinavia, it may have been incorporated into the Christian celebration of Christmas there and the pagan significance no longer remaining. It's just underlying. And it goes on. Let me look. Just for your information, holly and ivy. Decorating with holly and ivy is an ancient pagan tradition and used by the Romans to decorate at Saturnalia. Like most plants or trees on this list, early Christians were well aware of the pagan Early Christians were well aware of the pagan origins of decorating with holly. Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honor of the god Saturn, held on December 17th of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through to December 23rd. Mistletoe has to do with fertility and The kissing under the mistletoe started in ancient Greece, way back there during the festival of Saturnalia. Reconciling differences, and he goes on. They hung it all year round. To do what? To keep witches and ghosts from entering the house. That's what that's all about, to ward off everything from infertility to fires. That's what that mistletoe was all about. Early Christians, however, this one cites, did not celebrate Christmas. Another one, December 25th was just like any other day to Christians until the fourth century when Pope Julius I recast, or we can say repurposed, the Roman Saturnalia festival into a Christian celebration. Soon holly and candles and other winter pagan elements transitioned into Christmas trappings." That's where it came from. Oliver Cromwell in Great Britain banned them, referring to Christmas celebrations in England. He banned it. Prior to the Victorian era, 1837 and 1901, Christmas in the United States was primarily, note this, a religious holiday observed by Christians of the Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, and Lutheran denominations. In 1647, the Puritan-led English Parliament banned it. considering it rightly so a Popish festival. And in colonial America, the pilgrims of New England disapproved of it. They loathed it so much, if I just say this, they purposely worked on that day. By the Declaration of Independence in 1776, it was not widely celebrated in the United States. And I want you to notice this. In 1836, Alabama became the first state to declare it a public holiday, and by 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant designated it a federal holiday, partly as an effort to heal the rift between North and South following the Civil War. In this Christianized, pagan festival of Christmas, there is a man who represents Christ. There's no question about it. Being omniscient, he's all-knowing. We tell our kids, he knows everything about you. We make fun of it, but we do that. To whom we might recommend that our children confess their sins, that he bring them rewards and punishment, that he will do that. And then there are the lights and the reeds that keep the way, the evil spirits, and of course the evergreen tree erected in the house and all of the parting that's attached to it. I want you to consider the attempts to infuse scripture into this holiday. It has done nothing but pervert the truth. Like Easter, It's very perverse. There weren't, or Christmas, I'm sorry, there weren't three wise men. There weren't three wise men. Did you ever know that? There are three kinds of gifts, but there weren't three wise men. They didn't come to the manger. The shepherds did. The wise men likely didn't come to where the Lord was in a house for up to two years later. There weren't angels singing. The scripture says they were praising God. And there's good reason, very good reason to think that Jesus our Lord wasn't even born at this time of the year. The fact is the Bible doesn't reveal when he was born. And what's not revealed, we can't know. So to close this, these holidays have pagan origins. There's no question about it. The prophet, Jeremiah chapter 10. Now look at the rest of this. The prophet Jeremiah chapter 10. Cites in his book something that appears very much like what is going on today with the celebration of Christmas. He describes it as a pagan practice. And it can be applied to any practice derived from pagans. Take the warning. Hear ye the word of the Lord at verse one. The word of the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus said the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the heathen are dismayed at them, for the customs of the people, that is the paganism, are vain. For one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workmen with the axe, they deck it with silver or gold. Silver and with gold, they fasten it with nails and with hammers that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not. They must needs be born, but they cannot go. Be not afraid of them. You know, they were worshiping this thing. Be not afraid of them, for they cannot do evil. Neither also is it in them to do good. Don't worry about it. Don't follow this thing. The Lord warned Israel against receiving this and all other pagan practices. Let me just mention these. Exodus 23-24 says, don't do after their works. Psalm 106-34, but they learned their works. And he got into all sorts of trouble for it. In 2 Kings 17 verse 8, they walked in the statutes, that's the customs of the heathen. They did that. Christians have become so deluded by error. Frankly because they give so little reverence to God's holy word. They know that Santa Claus and elves, holly, mistletoe, rabbits, chicks, eggs, summer, winter, solstice, cupids and disguises, putting on costumes have absolutely nothing to do with Christianity and yet they observe it. That they are derived from paganism and they keep observing it. But like Israel in the past, what? They loved to have it so. The Apostle Paul called this fellowshipping at the table of devils. First Corinthians chapter 10, verses 20 and 21. You can apply it to any of this. I never thought of it like this. First Corinthians 10, verses 20 and 21. But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. I would not that you should have fellowship with devils. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. You cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and of the table of devils. It ought to strike every one of us as being rather odd. that both the unbelieving and the believing may come together and fellowship around these holidays. Does the world really care that Jesus rose from the dead? It doesn't. It doesn't really care that he was born at all. The truth is they'd rather he'd never come. We saw that attitude when he was here and they murdered him. There's more to this than meets the eye, and Christians ought to be able to see it for themselves. Can I, as a child of God, truly say that Jesus Christ is a part of any of these things? Should I support these things with my participation? Can I stand behind this pulpit and promote it? And will you let me? Does it bother us? Paul in Ephesians 417 said, therefore, this I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind. Verse 20, you have not so learned Christ. And we already read Peter chapter four, first Peter four, verse three. Give it some thought. I hope it'd be a help to you. Again, I mean no offense, but this is where I am. This is where many of you are. I think some of you have struggled with this. Some have withdrawn. I know some that have withdrawn and gone right back to it. It's a sad thing to see. I think it's a mistake. I wish it hadn't happened, but it has. And you have to decide what is right for your home. And together we need to stand about this issue. It's in our doctrine of faith. We do not see this and we don't want it in our building. We don't want it on the property. We don't want any of it. You don't even find the cross on the building for a reason. We don't glorify that thing at all. We glorify Christ. We had for years wished we could have taken the symbol off of the building in Anchorage, Thank the Lord we were able to come out here and it's not there anymore. We will not, he's not on that thing anymore. He's alive at the right end of the Father interceding for his people at this very moment. The Father hears our prayers because he's there for us. And he's coming again. I hope you can take a clear stand on this matter. Praise the Lord for the truth of his word. Thank you.