[Steve Myers] It's Christmas time once again and here on BT Daily we want to get right down to the heart and core of the matter. Should you celebrate Christmas? And what difference does it make if I do or I don't? So many celebrate Christmas knowing the pagan roots. They understand that Christmas is not even in the Bible as the celebration that we have today in America or around the world for that matter. And does it matter? I think that's an important question we have to realize. Does it matter where Christmas comes from or whether I celebrate it or not?

[Darris McNeely] Well, it does. And again many religious leaders point this out, even to their own people. But then it gets to be explained away by, "It's transformed by the life and the death of Jesus Christ" or some other false idea that makes it all sound very good and kind of sanitizes it. But it really isn't. It's not in the Bible. Very clearly we understand that the habits of Christmas, the custom of Christmas and its traditions are not found in the Bible. In fact, there are many references such as in Jeremiah chapter 10 where there is a direct command spoken there not to put a tree up, decorate it with gold or silver, and worship that tree in some type of religious ceremony.

[Steve Myers] We can't. In fact, if we claim to be Christian, why does it matter? Well, do we follow the Bible or not? It's not in the Bible. Check us out. You will find that commands to keep and celebrate Christmas are not found in the Bible. So do we want to honor God and worship Him the way He wants? Or do we expect to honor God the way we want to? Is God even honored by that?

[Darris McNeely] There's one other point we should make and that again is something made every year - the commercialization of the whole Christmas tradition. And people lament this. Nobody makes any changes. In fact, every year the sales just continue to be strong, higher almost every year. But what is it really teaching? What is it teaching in terms of giving as opposed to getting? Two ways of life, two broad avenues of life focusing upon the self. That's something we need to avoid.

[Steve Myers] When you get right down to the mission and the teaching of Jesus Christ, these things, not honoring the word of God, not following what the Bible teaches, and this way of get, commercialism go in direct opposition to Christ's teachings. So is that what we think that we can base the celebration, somehow honoring God? Should it be based in that? They don't seem to go together at all.

[Darris McNeely] One Scripture that has come to mind as we were talking about the preparation for this particular daily, it's in 1 John 2:16 where John writes, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world." Applying that to this way of get and to a custom that is not in the Bible is another way to understand that it's time to make a change. It's time to really think about what do, calling it the worship of God and asking whether or not God is honored and pleased by what we substitute.

[Steve Myers] That's a great place to begin. What does honor God? Get your Bible out, find out what it is, and follow that. And I think you'll find a whole different way to really bring glory to Him.

[Darris McNeely] That's BT Daily. Join us next time.