Not all Christmas traditions are the same and that’s fine. Christmas Traditions like at our house we were permitted to open one present of your choice on Christmas Eve and then as soon as everyone was awake on Christmas morning we’d open up the rest. Another tradition was eating Christmas dinner at mom and dad’s and then the day after Christmas we’d all eat at grandmothers and granddads. It has always been a tradition at our home to eat back-eye peas on New Year’s Day as good luck throughout the year. There is nothing wrong with changing these traditions over the years to follow changes that take place in the families.

Some things were not meant to be changed:

2 Thessalonians 2:15

15 So then, brother, stand firm and hold to the teaching we passed to you, whether by word or by mouth.

The first Christmas took place over two thousand years ago in the little town of Bethlehem when a little baby was born in a stable because all the Inns were full on that night. The mother and father, Mary and Joseph, had traveled a long way and that night there little baby came into the world and as He lay in that little manger wrapped in cloths to keep warm the world would soon be changed forever.

This little baby was not just any little baby. This little baby was the Son of the one and only Holy God and He would be called Immanuel because He was God. And starting that night and for about thirty three years God had come to earth and He would be with us. Now because of that night the world would now have to make a choice to believe this little baby was indeed the Son of God, Jesus Christ and have the hope of life forever in a new and wonderful world unlike this world we live in today and we will live forever. If not we would live a life forever in a cruel world much worse than the world we live in today.

Through the years there would be people who never believed and then there would be families who did believe and passed down to their families the story of Bethlehem but over time even some from these families would lose the real reason for celebrating Christmas.

Now this is where my ministry comes in to try to again tell the true story of the first Christmas using a Christmas symbol that has been used to cover up the real reason for the season. My ministry will try and use an idea that first started in the year 1949 by a wonderful Christian man who thought the world way back then had gotten too commercialized. Today almost as long as I have lived, 60 years later what do you think Mr. Raymond Gauer would think about the celebration of Christmas when some are trying to make it wrong to even say Merry Christmas.

There is no way you can celebrate the true reason for Christmas by taken away the baby Jesus. If you take away the birth of Jesus you have taken away the whole entire reason for celebrating. Without the virgin birth of Jesus Christ there is no hope of life eternal with the Father in a new and better world only a guaranteed life forever in a more cruel and fallen world in which we live today. There would be no Holy Spirit within us protecting us from the evil one while we are here in this fallen world and no hope of ever escaping to the better new world only a continual life in a place much worst forever and ever than where we are now living.

Without the baby Jesus means we would all be stuck down here, on our own, in this fallen world until the day we die with no kind hope of ever receiving a better life. And all those times you thought you were talking to God, you really weren’t because being covered with sin and not the blood of Jesus, God wouldn’t even be able look on you much less listen to you.

So tell me this; if there wasn’t a virgin birth “what in this fallen world” is worth celebrating? So Virginia the question is not “is there a Santa Claus”, the real question is if there is a Santa Claus does he know the real reason for the season is Jesus? Here’s what Gods’ word says about Christmas:

Isaiah 7:14 (Old Testament 700 years before the birth of Christ)
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” —which means, “God with us.”

Luke 2:9-12

9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Well there may just be a Santa Claus and there may just be a Sainta Klaus, but there is one thing for sure and that is that there surely was a baby Jesus and a Jesus who still lives today and is with the Father. Now if you are someone who is trying to bring Christmas cheer to an innocent little child and if you want to give them something worthwhile to remember that is true for the rest of their lives, something that will give them true hope and true joy through all of life’s pitfalls, something that will give them life forever with the One who gave them their very first gift on that very first Christmas, than tell them the story of the birth of a King. Tell them the story of how God gave them a King who was born in that little town of Bethlehem, who if they believe in Him He could help them to live happily ever after forever and ever in a wonderful new loving world. I’m not asking you to get rid of Santa or put him down by claiming him for taking away the real reason, I’m only asking you to build up and praise the King, the real King, and not just the real reason for the season, but really the only reason for the season.

Sainta Klaus believes:

1. Jesus Christ is the living Son of the living God and the only way to the Father and Salvation.

2. Christmas is the season used to honor the birth of Jesus Christ and Merry Christmas is a greeting used throughout the Christmas season to honor the birthday of Jesus Christ. Sainta likes to think of it as a way of saying, “Happy Birthday Baby Jesus”.

3. Santa Claus is not a bad guy and we would hate to see him go. But if some people want to use Santa to cover up the real reason then these people just need to leave quietly and peacefully on to another day of the year and start a new holiday of their own. How about Non-Christmas? Or here’s a good one (Xmas) Ho, Ho, Ho! Sorry that wasn’t nice, but then I’m not a nice guy, Sainta is a good guy who loves Jesus.

4. Saint Nicholas was a real man born in Myra Turkey during the 4^th century whose family was converts of St. Paul (Paul the Apostle) some two hundred years earlier. Saint Nick was a very kind and generous man who gave away his inheritance to people who were in need. Saint Nicholas gave in private not so that the world would know but so that only the man who lived inside his heart would know, Jesus. Any Santa Claus who is not celebrating the birth of Christ is not of the same spirit as Saint Nicholas. Sainta does carry the same spirit inside his heart as old Saint Nick.

The purpose for my ministry is to witness for the Lord Jesus and help the lost know the true reason why Christians rejoice during the Christmas season. I want the world to know why we as Christians celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ our Savior and in knowing this we are able to rejoice after Christmas throughout the New Year right on up to the following Christmas.

Now I know that some Christians do seem a bit more jolly during Christmas then all of the other months and Sainta feels as though it is due to it is the Birthday of Jesus but also the fact that even people who don’t believe in the real reason for the season seem to show the qualities of Jesus. That in itself has to be some kind of Christmas miracle when everyone transforms into lovers and givers and spend time putting others first. Now if you want to start having true Joy then just follow this helpful acronym.

Jesus Others Yourself