Ezekiel 44:23 And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. If you slap a sticker on the belly of Buddha that says “JESUS” it does not make Buddha holy. Yet we tend to slap the name of Jesus on worldly things, then call it holy because we do. Think about this time of year we call Christmas. I love Christmas, but I have also learned that Christmas and the birth of Jesus are two different events. You can study the origins of Christmas and find that it came from pagan practices, but over time, the name of Jesus was slapped across it (Like the sticker on the belly of Budda) and so many Christians call it Gospel. And some even get mad when they call it Xmas or have Santa Clause included in it. Well Xmas and Santa are what Christmas celebrates, it celebrates pagan practices, but also includes the goodness of giving and doing for others, almost like mixing spiritual and nonspiritual things together and calling it holy. But the birth of Jesus is totally different, because for those who were born on December 25 th know that the day does not celebration them at Christmas time. In fact, most who are born on or even around that day are actually cheated, because they get less gifts, or the day and the gifts are combined into one, so they don’t really know the joy of having a special day for themselves. Isn’t that the way we treat Christmas and the birth of Jesus. How often does Jesus take a backseat to Santa Claus and all the festivities of Christmas? Now like I said earlier, I love Christmas, and most people do, with the lights and trees and gifts and family getting together and the food and the movies and Christmas specials and shows. And they all have their place… in Christmas, but not in the birth of Jesus Christ. Once again, it’s like sticking a Jeus sticker on the belly of Buddha, it just doesn’t work, no matter how much you try and make that Jesus sticker bigger or shinier than Budda, the two do not go together. Long story short, enjoy Christmas with your family and friends. But also enjoy a day, separate from the Christmas celebration to Celebrate the birth of Jesus, and remembering why God sent His only Son to this earth. John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Galatians 4:4-7 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 1 John 4:8-11 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.