The King’s Business
Voi. 5
JANUARY , 1914
No. 1
Keeping Christmas in a Christian Way W E have just passed that season of the year at which most Christians cele brate the birth iijto this wqrld of their Lord Jesus. O f course, none of us know that Jesus was born at Bethlehem on the 25th day of Decem ber. It is not absolutely certain that He was born even at this season o f the year. Doubtless God for wise reasons of His own has* kept us in ignorance a,s to the exact date o f His birth. We do know the exact date o f His crucifix ion, of Hjs resurrection and of His ascension but we do not know the exact date of His birth. It does not follow that we should not celebrate the birth of our Lord but it does follow that we should always bear in mind that there is no certainty, whatever that He was born on the exact date that we celebrate. Our Pilgrim Fathers did not celebrate Christmas at all,; they regarded Christ mas celebration as a relic of popery. If we do celebrate Christmas, we should certainly celebrate it in a Christian way. Squandering money to buy useless gifts to bestow upon those who already have plenty, is certainly not celebrating Christmas in the Christian way. Making personal sacrifices in order that we may give to those who are in,real need, certainly is celebrating Christmas in the Christian way. But the most essential thing in the Christian celebration of Christmas is recognizing our boundless debt to God the Father and to our Lord Jesus and showing our recognition of our great indebtedness to them by spending time and thought in expressions of gratitude and o f worship. It is of God, the Father, and of Christ, the Soh we should especially think, at Christ mas time. Our first duty at Christmas time is not -even to the poor—it is to God and to our Lord Jesus. But in point of fact, God who gave the Son, and the Son who was given by the Father, have largely dropped out of our Christ mas celebrations. Santa Claus has largely taken the place of our Lord Jesus Christ and self has taken the place of God. This might be expected of a godless world, but it is appalling to see the extent to which professing Chris tians have allowed themselves to be swept off o f their feet by the spirit o f the world. Here is a point at which there is need of deep and genuine repentance on the part of a very large portion of the professing Church.; Many of the Church and Sunday School Christmas entertainments must fill the heart of the discerning Christian with sorrow, yes even with horror. Our New Year’s Greeting A HAPPY New Year to thee, reader, or, more accurately, a blessed one. Happiness is happen-ness. We know nothing happens, merely. Our years do not, or, rather, are not run at hap-hazard. He who set sun and moon in the skies to rule day and night and seasons, did not thereby commit men’s destinies to the stars; they are His Who is Himself “ The Morn ing Star,” in Whose name the enlightened world instinctively indicts its calen dar. Now, may this Year of Our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Fourteen be a blessed year to you.
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