Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays
Dear friend,
Most businesses are sending out greetings that avoid the word “Christmas,” instead opting for the supposedly more “politically correct” greeting of “Happy Holidays.”
Not me.
It used to bother me a little bit when I’d see the word “Christmas” replaced with the word “Xmas” in various places. “Don’t take Christ out of Christmas,” I’d say.
But, now our society has gone so far as to remove Christ AND Christmas altogether!
For example… My kids go to public school and they no longer have “Christmas” parties or programs, they now call them “Winter” parties and programs.
How boring!
I realize that not everybody celebrates Christmas or believes in the Christ whose birthday we are celebrating this month. That’s OK. I completely respect everyone, no matter what they believe or don’t believe!
But, I personally AM a believer in Christ, and I would rather risk a little criticism from a few non-believers who may get “offended” than remove Christ (and Christmas) from my well-wishes to you.
So, here goes 🙂
In a nutshell, Christmas is all about GOOD NEWS and I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like good news, do you?
God loved you, me and all of us two-legged varmints (as a friend of mine recently joked) SO MUCH that He decided to leave the perfection of Heaven, and become a piece of flesh right here on planet Earth. He left his eternal tropical vacation at the throne of God to enter our imperfect atmosphere as a crying little baby (who pooped and burped), lived a sinless life, and was rejected and scorned by the ones He came to serve.
He felt our pain and experienced our weaknesses to the fullest.
So, why was he scorned, and eventually crucified by those he loved?
He loved us too much, I guess. Even to the point of dying a bloody death, hanging by Roman nails, pierced on a tree.
He is the reason we can have Christmas trees in our homes, sing Christmas carols, give gifts to others, spend time eating too much goodies with family and friends, and decorate our homes with colorful lights… because of that old bloody tree.
But, here’s the best news: after Christ died on that tree, he didn’t stay dead!
Nope. Just three days later, after being buried and sealed in a tomb… the most remarkable miracle in the history of the universe occurred.
Resurrection.
Raised from the dead! He once was dead, but then he came back to life. Never to die again!
And 40 days later, he levitated into the sky and teleported back to the throne of God in Heaven, where He continues to rule and reign as our Loving Savior and Our Father.
He did all that because He loved us.
And He loves you!!
Loves you so much He wants to spend time with you, help you in your darkest moments, and celebrate with you in your best times. He wants to give you resurrection, too.
He’s also got an open invitation for you to join Him at a big feast that he’s throwing in Heaven on the day of your death, one that will top any ham or turkey dinner your mom or grandma could whip up. I’m telling ya, it’s something you don’t want to miss out on!
So, how do you get all this?
Well, it’s free… But it’ll cost you your life (in a good way, as you’ll learn if you read below…).
If you don’t know Christ’s love, maybe you could take a bit of time this season to find a Bible (the best-selling non-fiction book of all-time) and read a little from the book of Matthew, Mark or Luke. If you get on a roll and want to learn more, keep reading. John. Acts. Romans. All talk about the love of God, and explain more about what happened around 2,000 years ago. Eventually, you may want to read the whole Bible – all 66 books, from Genesis to Revelation. They all speak about God’s love!
It’s a living book, really. God comes alive through the words on the page, as you read them with a heart to seek after Him. He’ll meet you there. He’s faithful and true. Qualities we don’t see much of in society anymore.
MERRY CHRISTMAS (and happy holidays) to you and yours this season!
Yours for excellent health,
Joe Barton
Founder & CEO
Barton Publishing Inc.
p.s. If I’ve offended you by this letter, I am sorry. But I get excited thinking about the love of God, and I can’t help but tell others about the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received. I want everyone to experience this gift of God: eternal health. He’s listening and waiting for you right now…
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God Bless you for this message. Christ is the very reason we have “holiday trees” and “winter parties”. Let us never be afraid to celebrate Christmas for what it really is – a celebration of God’s enormous love for us in sending Christ our Saviour. Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to His People on Earth. Amen
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Excellent! Please don’t worry sbout people taking offense, its their problem
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I totally agree with your views about Christmas.
There seems to be a not too subtle conspiracy to take Jesus Christ out of Christmas.Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.
Reginald
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PRAISE THE LORD JESUS NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NEVER FEEL THE NEED TO APOLOGIZE FOR SPEAKING OR PRAISEING THE LORDS WORD OR NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!AMEN GOD BLESS YOU AND ALL YOUR LOVED ONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Familiar but still inspirational – THX
However I still find it sooo offensive when little interest-groups wish to block my freedom of expression and to restrict the use of my culture in celebrating Christmas. A pox on you little politically correct people. -
I fully agree with you. All of us Christians we should be stronger in our faith and tell everybody what does it mean: The Christ, our Saviour is born. Many people judge us because they have no idea what our religion is about. Less they know, more they attack us. It is so sad, today everything is so commercilized. true meaning of Christmas by so many incl Christians is lost by almighty money. Thank you for sending this measage to me, have a blessed Christmas and New Year 2011!xxoofrom Marija
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enjoyed your note and want to pass it on. Know that people in the “business of life” sometimes must go with the flow and do the expedient thing….I am impressed that you do not follow that thought.
HAPPY NEW YEAR. -
Thank you for putting it so beautifully!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! -
thanks for the good news, it’s nice to see you and your company are brothers in the lord like me, thxs brother. Daryl
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Thank you Joe.
A Happy and Blesed Christmas to you and your family.
I always enjoy reading your letters and I pass them on to my friends.
Thanks again and God Bless.
Kingsley Smith. -
Hi Joe, Thank you for a beautiful Christmas message.
May the Christ Child bless you richly. Peace. +Gordon -
It should be normal and joyful for us Christians to share “The good News” of our Lord coming to earth for love for us.
Today it is a courageous act and I thank you for that.
May the Lord bless you and your family.
Tina from Italy. -
How did this ‘politically correct’ thing come about anyway? And why on earth should people be so offended by something so positive as Christianity? There’s so much to be offended by: poverty, war, ignorance, gun laws, the economy – and people chose to ‘be offended’ by Christianity and its message of hope? Something’s very wrong in a country where prayers are not allowed in school, but where everyone can own a gun.
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Thank you for reminding all that CHRISTMAS is CHRISTMAS, the time when we remember all that the good Lord has done for us all . Imagine a world without Christ? How awful it would be…
Anupatt fsg
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Thank you very much for greeting us all! Have a nice day you too! Črtomir BORKO, PhD, MSc,DMV. Ljubljana, Slovenia, EU
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Joe,Thank you for such an inspiring testimony.I think that we Christians should be more outspoken and ready to stand up for our belief’s as you did and things would be a lot better. Thank You for you stand and you don’t need to apologize.
Juan McGowan -
Have people forgotten that if they do not like your message they can delete it, turn it off, throw it away. Why should anyone have to apologize for their beliefs.
Where is the realization among our fellow man that in America we have the right not to agree. But with this right comes dignity and respect for someone elses beliefs. Therefore, why should the whole nation change their words, thoughts, beliefs and greetings to fit those of the few. We are a better people than that and we should exercise our individual and collective right to go that extra step and accept others rights to those freedoms so well preserved in our Constitution?
Lets all step up to the plate withoour apologizing and hold our heads high. In doing so we strengthen our basic foundation on which we survive. God was the guardian of these rights and gave our forefathers the wisdom that is shown in their writings, allowing for debate not derision. -
THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING THE TRUTH! WE LOVE CHRISTMAS AND JESUS AND LOVE TO SPREAD THE WORD! THESE ARE EVILS TIMES AND WE MUST STAND AND SPEAK THE TRUTH! AMEN BROTHER! NANCY
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Thanks everyone for such encouraging and supportive replies!
I would like to recommend a very good book that I read in about three hours, which you can find here: http://www.HeavenIsForReal.net
It’s a beautiful testimony of Gid’s live for us, as seen through the eyes of a four year old boy.
God bless you,
Joe -
Good on you for setting an example, we all need to stand up & be counted – as the saying goes,’Stand for something or you’ll fall for anything’! Our Lord stood up for us, (i.e. was – & is – not ashamed to acknowledge us before God), the least we can do is to stand up for Him before other people. Is our faith worth defending? If we keep quiet, people will assume it is not. Thankyou for the timely reminder that The Good News is not meant to be kept a secret! 🙂
Thank you for your testimony as a Christian!
We, living in South Africa, are also christians and not shy in any way for living and telling it to the world! We believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope and answer for the world with all its problems!!
Good luck for your business and may the good Lord bless you and your family in this festive time.
We pray also for America!!!