Where Did Santa Claus Come From?

Christmas has been the most popular holiday in America ever since it gained it's independence from England. That makes sense being that it was a country that was founded on Christian values. They had escaped religious persecution and formed the colonies before ultimately becoming the United States. Therefore, it is only natural that celebrating the birthday of Jesus would done in a big way in this country.

Christmas marks the day where God became flesh threw his son Jesus. He was born from a virgin meaning that he was from God was the only possible explanation. It was not until about three years ago that I realized just what Christmas really is. It is a birthday party. That is the reason for the gifts.

Since I have been saved, I often wonder "where did Santa Claus come from?" "What does a man in a red suit getting pulled in a sleigh through the air by reindeer have anything to do with the birth of Jesus?"

Nobody knows for sure where the concept of Santa Claus comes from other than it started in Europe around the 4th century. He has had other names such as Chris Cringle and Saint Nicholas which kind of gives him biblical implications.

I look at the concept of Santa Claus and can't help but think that the character was based solely on Jesus. Santa gives gifts and Jesus was known for his gifts and miracles. Jesus ascended to the sky after his resurrection and Santa ascends from the sky going through chimneys.

Both know when you are sleeping and when you are awake. Both know if you have been bad or good. Both believe that you get good gifts if you be good.

Santa has his helpers, elves, which probably symbolize the angels who help Jesus. He lives at the North Pole which probably symbolizes that Jesus comes from above. The red suit could symbolize the red blood Jesus was covered in.

The connections there are fascinating and while the concept of this fictional character are about the same concepts Jesus wants from all of is, I can't help but wonder if the creation of Santa Claus is a form of idolatry. That is clearly defined as worshiping something or someone more than God. The fact is that kids get on Santa's laps at shopping centers all over the country. They tell Santa what they want for Christmas rather than ask Jesus for it in prayer. That makes me question whether or not it is idolatry or not.

I am sure Santa Claus is fine to celebrate as long as we know that he is a fictional character and we know who the real reason for the season is.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

What Public Schools Have Become

A week after the horrific shooting that killed 26 people that were mostly children at Sandy Hook Elementary, it is always hard to look back and reflect how this could possibly happen. There is no doubt that what happened in Connecticut was the work of the devil.

The liberals have used this tragedy as a vice for pushing their gun control agenda. My stance on that is what it always has been. A law abiding citizen would not do this whether he had a gun or not. But those who would know how to get a gun legally or illegally, so that would stop nothing.

I see this as if anything good can came out of this, it is maybe we can take a look at how public schools are really becoming a place for the devil to spread his influence. The sad part is is that teachers with good intentions are playing enabling it.

We don't need any new laws to stop this from happening again. How about we teach one we have already had since the Old Testament, Thou Shall Not Kill. Mike Huckabee nailed it on Fox News when he said that we escorted God right out of the building and then wonder where he was to prevent this.

The problem I have goes beyond this shooting. Public schools have systematically removed Jesus from schools to a point where the Ten Commandments are now considered offensive. I don't get that because even an atheist knows that killing, lying, stealing, etc. are wrong. My question is that would it bother you if your kids followed them? I would hope not.

The mindset is that we have to be careful to include all faiths in schools including atheists and we don't want to offend anyone by pushing our beliefs. So we teach kids that it is okay to be a homosexual. Wait a second! Isn't that pushing beliefs? Christian families aren't taught that but nobody cares about offending them.

That is indirectly teaching kids to be democrats rather than allow them to make the choice for themselves. Teacher unions have increasingly become under democratic influence making the teaching biased. I used to be a teacher myself and recall Obama being rammed down my throat four years ago at a staff meeting. The leader was pushing being an "Obama Nation."

I also recall hearing a teacher tell students that Sarah Palin is a "dingbat" during a lesson. How is that not forcing beliefs on kids? I recall another lesson teaching the difference between democrats and republicans stating that the republicans only care about the rich which is a total lie.It never said anything about how the democrats love big government.

The fact is that Conservative ideals are definitely more Christian but liberal views are being pushed. Then we wonder why kids are growing up with no morals. I am not saying that this event could have been stopped by praying in school, but maybe just maybe we need to stop and take a look at the message educators are sending.

Then maybe we will have less incidents where the devil pushes his influence.

Could Obama Be the AntiChrist?

Recently Jamie Foxx committed one of the worst acts of public blasphemy I have ever heard of when he acutally referred to Barack Obama as "Our Lord and Savior" at the Soul Train Awards. Although I dislike Obama and his Marxist ideas, I can't help but be somewhat astonished on the affect this guy has on so many people.

I really never understood the phenomenon four years ago as this man just rose out of nowhere. I never heard of Barack Obama before but all I heard was how this guy was going to bring peace and prosperity not only to America but also the world.

The fact that four years later so many still believe this after his disaster of a first term just leaves me flabbergasted. All he has done is increased both debt and government. Within a year, the government will control healthcare when Obamacare goes into effect. Yet, many Americans still worship this guy and speak bad about the organizations such as the Tea Party who try to speak the truth.

This has really got me thinking about the Book of Revelation. In there it says Antichrist: The world's greatest peacemaker-He comes to power on a platform of peace-He comes in peaceably and deceives the public.

This fits Obama to a tee if you ask me. He promised peace and prosperity, but we are in worse economic shape than we were four years ago. He is the only president to isolate Israel while continually apologizing to muslims everywhere. Something about all this is just not setting well with me and anybody who can see through the lies.

The Book of Revelations does say that the Antichrist will come in many forms. Therefore, Obama may not be the final Antichrist if indeed he is the Antichrist. Having said that, now is a good time to be right with God and be prepared for the end times. I don't want to be left behind.

What The Tea Party Really Is

Shortly after Barack HUSSEIN Obama was elected president, the tea party formed. Unfortunately for them, much of their publicity is bad publicity. They are often portrayed as racists for criticizing a president who is not black and bigots for holding their strong Christian values our country was founded on.

The liberal media has chosen to divert the country from what the Tea Party really is. They are not democrat or republican. They are just a group regular people like you and me who are tired of the government continuing to raise taxes and increasing government which in turn has taken away more and more of the very idea that this country stands for. That is freedom.

The Tea Party has three very simple core values.

Fiscal Responsibility

This means not overspending and burdening the future generations with debt they didn't create. Unfortunately, our government continues to add taxes on us without exhausting other resources first.

Constitutionally Limited Government

This means that power resides with the people and not the government. Government should be done at the most local level first. It should only go to a higher level if it can't be resolved at the lower level. It is easier to hold government accountable if it is done at the lower levels first. The founding fathers believed that government power should be limited, enumerated and constrained by our constitution.

This is one core value that both democrats and republicans have violated. Every time government is added, freedom gets taken away. The fact is that while both parties are guilty of this, Mr. Obama has added over 400 agencies that we know of. That is just ridiculous.

Free Market Economics

This is a principle that made America an economic superpower. It is the idea of capitalism that allows people to come up with new businesses and innovative new ideas/inventions. It is an opportunity for those to create their own wealth. It also creates more job opportunities.

Unfortunately, the liberals have painted those who are the most successful with this as bad when success is something that should be celebrated. Government has gone out of it's way to restrict businesses creating more and more regulations and fees for business owners. Where I live, they actually have a cap on the number of permits that are allowed for businesses. That goes against the concept of free market in every way.

To sum it all up, the government continues to get bigger forcing them to create more spending. By doing so, they make it harder for businesses to prosper with added regulations. That has forced higher taxes. The end result is that we have higher taxes and less jobs. That doesn't work and that is what the Tea Party is saying.

Contrary to how they are portrayed, the tea party is exactly what this country was founded on. That is people coming together from all walks of life saying we have had enough of this corruption.

What Thanksgiving Is Really All About

This week we celebrate the first of the three major holidays in Thanksgiving. So many traditions have come from this holiday. The most common one is the turkey.

Along with the turkey comes the mashed potatoes and gravy, yams, cranberries, yams, and of course Pumpkin Pie.

Another tradition that has become synonymous with Thanksgiving is the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade. That precedes my favorite Thanksgiving tradition.

Every year the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys treat football fans with an extra day of football for fans. Then Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving wraps up most of the college football season as traditional rivals such as Michigan-Ohio State,  Florida-Florida State, USC-Notre Dame, Alabama-Auburn, etc. are matched up on Thanksgiving weekend. Then there is more NFL action on Sunday. It is a whole weekend of football.

Finally, there is my least favorite Thanksgiving tradition. That is Black Friday.

It is a crazy day at malls and department stores where the deals on electronics and other items can be bought  at a really low price. People camp out over night. I dislike it because I don't feel the line is worth the wait and I usually get stuck working security.

As great as all these traditions are, it is important to never forget what this day is really all about. It is the memory of how our great country began. Christians in England were being persecuted for their religious beliefs. To avoid that any further, they made a pilgrimage to the new world. They became known as Pilgrims.

When they arrived on the Mayflower, the pilgrims had no idea how to live off the new land that they landed on. It was the native Americans who really saved them and taught them how to hunt, fish, and grow crops. Thanksgiving was a day that was created as a way to give thanks not only to the Native Americans but also to God for giving them a new beginning in a new home.

There was a feast every year. While wild turkey was one bird served, there were also duck, goose, and chicken. Deer and fish were also commonly eaten on Thanksgiving. Every year they gave thanks to God. Those who settled in these new colonies lived by very strong Christian values. They lived by that all the way through the Revolutionary War and ultimately wrote the Constitution that was based on biblical principles.

This nation was in every way intended to be a Christian nation, contrary to what Mr. Obama or any other liberal/history revisionist wants to tell you.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

If Everybody Tithed

Often times people do not like to go to church because of the tithe. They feel that the church is taking their money and it puts a negative vision of church in a person's mind. Others take the attitude that "I would tithe if I could but I can't right now." Others just do it once in a while.

The problem with that is that is another way for people grow dependent on the government. There never used to be welfare or other government assistance agencies. The church took care of that. They were able to because everybody tithed.

1 Chronicles 29:11-17 states;

¹¹ Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.
¹² Wealth and honor come from you;
    you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
    to exalt and give strength to all.
¹³ Now, our God, we give you thanks,
    and praise your glorious name.

¹⁴ “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.¹⁵ We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. ¹⁶ Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. ¹⁷ I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.

God knew what he was doing when he made the rule 10%. If everybody gave that amount, that would be enough to provide for those who are in need. Unfortunately, we now have a very small amount of people tithing and that has resulted in churches just being able to pay their staff with the tithe. 

As a result that has forced the government to have to step in and create those assistance agencies. There are a couple problems with that. First, every time you add government you add spending. That creates debt. Second, when you add government you become more dependent on  it. The more dependent you become on government, the more you allow it to control you. That means less freedom. 

These are just some things to think about next time you don't feel like tithing.

Vote Your Christian Values Today

That is the question every Christian should ask themselves for every single race. We know that Jesus is God in the flesh and that God decides what is right and wrong not man. God decided that killing the innocent is wrong. Nothing is more innocent than an unborn baby.

God decided that marriage is between a man and a woman living in covenant with him. If you know candidates who break one or both of those, than do not vote for them. The fact is that if they go against God here and make up their own rules on what is right and wrong, they will do so on all issues. Most candidates who break one of these rules will break the other one too. Research shows that.

It is God's will for us to prosper. Only in a free enterprise system can that happen. We need to vote for the candidates who understand that.

Remember to pray first, then vote.

The Problem With the Robin Hood Mentality

Robin Hood has been a popular story that has been told and retold for centuries. So many viewed him as this heroic figure who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. So many see it as a noble concept.

Unfortunately, Robin Hood should not be viewed as a hero but as a thief. "Thou Shall Not Steal" means just that. It doesn't say it is okay to steal and then give to someone else. I call that robbing Peter to Pay Paul. The subtitle above even says Prince of Thieves. A thief is a thief in God's eyes. He doesn't grade on the curve.

One reason why I don't like democrats is that they take the story of Robin Hood and use it to influence voters. They say things like we should make the rich pay more taxes and giving the middle class a tax break. Obama has used this to persuade voters his way.

The problem is that this has created a mindset for so many people that is just wrong. They demonize rich people creating a false belief that rich are bad and poor are good. That is the furthest thing from the truth. There are rich people who have created many opportunities for others. The owners of Chik-Fil-A are a perfect example of that. Unfortunately, they are only known for their stance on gay marriage which should have surprised nobody since they close on Sundays because of their Christian beliefs.

On the flip side, there are poor people who are not good people. There are poor people who lie, cheat, steal, kill, etc. The voting public needs to understand that rich vs. poor and good vs. bad are two totally unrelated terms. There are good rich people and bad rich people just like there are good poor people and bad poor people.

So this idea of demonizing the rich is not only inaccurate, it is also dangerous. It creates a sense of entitlement among poor people that is not the will of God at all. 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 10 says "If a man does not work, he shall not eat." That clearly means that if you want it, you have to earn it.

That is the difference between the democrats and the republicans. The republicans believe that the poor can also prosper. They believe in equal opportunity. Keep in mind that equal opportunity does not mean equal results. If a football team has two guys competing to be the starting quarterback, they will both get the chance to prove their worth but only one wins.

That is how a free enterprise system is supposed to work. All businesses get an equal chance, but only the good products stand the test of time.

The democrats ideas of putting high taxes on the rich is flawed. Often times a poor or middle class person has an idea that is really good but needs financing. The more you tax the rich, the less they have to help the poor get their ideas going. Just because they are rich, it doesn't mean they have unlimited resources. Therefore, stealing from the rich doesn't help the poor as much as they want the public to believe.

The other problem with the Robin Hood mentality is that the rich always have and always will outsmart the system and keep the money that they worked hard for. Unfortunately, that means they have to resort to methods that are morally questionable at times. For example, they can buy an old warehouse and have it go bankrupt in order to write it off for a loss. That creates no opportunities for anybody.

The saddest part of this whole thing is that the democrats know this. They just want the public to believe that they are on the side of the "middle class." The republicans want everyone to prosper. That is what God wants too. The fact is that the democrats and republicans are both rich. The difference is that the republicans believe that all can become wealthy with hard work and smart decisions. The democrats deep down have the mindset of "We got ours."

They mislead the public and the sad part is that it works. It works because many people believe they are entitled to it. They just blindly follow this party believing that they will help them and yet they never do. At the  democratic convention, Michelle Obama wore an $8,000 dress in a speech that demonized the rich. What does that tell you?

How Obama Just Doesn't Get the Concept of the United States

Mr. Obama (I refuse to call him president) has stated before that the United States is not a Christian nation. For anybody who knows how this country was formed, that is offensive. The fact is that the Constitution and the formation of the United States were based off of the bible. Many of the ideas of the Legislative Branch came from the Book of Letiviticus.

The basic idea of the United States was that each state would have it's own independent government that could govern itself. Many of the powers such as education, health care, business,  and others were reserved to the states to resolve themselves. The three basic roles of the federal government was to be national defense, foreign policy, and foreign trade. That is very similar to how Moses divided up the tribes in the Books of Exodus all the way through Numbers. Moses wanted issues to be resolved at the lowest level first before going to him.

Anybody who understands this knows that Obama is doing horribly in the debates. Governor Romney, on the other hand, has said repeatedly that health care should be handled at the state level as well as education. That is why Obamacare will not work. Romneycare worked at the state level. When you handle it at the smallest level possible, that is less spending.

Romney has also stated repeatedly that we are a nation under God. That is stated in the pledge of allegiance which liberals have tried to take out of schools.

Obama has repeatedly made comments during the debates that undermines what the states can do. He clearly wants the federal government to control everything. Those are Marxist ideas. Whenever you add more government, that is a move closer to communism. Obama has added over 400 agencies. Not only is that a communist mindset, but it has created more federal spending. That is why the deficit has doubled.

The sad part is that we should have known better than to elect this guy. His willingness to kill babies goes against our inalienable or God given right to life given to us in the Declaration of Independence. That is also in the Ten Commandments, Thou shall not kill the innocent. If he will go against God, why would anyone think he would go against the Constitution which acknowledges a divine creator.

The voters really should have done their homework four years ago. They would have seen that whether he was legally born here or not, his primary influences were anti-American. Both his father and step-father were Muslims. Neither were from America.

Frank Marshall Davis, a communist leader, mentored him for ten years in Hawaii. He was also mentored for 20 years by a racist, Reverend Jeremiah Wright who preached Anti-American sermons. He was also influenced by anti-white America Harvard professor Derrick Bell.

With all this and if you watch 2016, you will clearly understand what his real agenda is. He is about anti-colonialism and anti-capitalism which are concepts that our country was founded on.

I have stated before that to be an effective public official, you don't have to be super intelligent or come from some great background. You just need to know and follow the Bible and the Constitution. Obama clearly knows and follows neither.

Why Christians Need to be More Involved in Politics

Recently, I spoke to a local politician whom I know well. I asked him why more and more politicians seem to be in favor of gay rights and more specifically gay marriage. His answer astonished me at how simple it is. He said because gays vote. I asked him, "Well don't Christians vote?" He shrugged his shoulders and said "They do."

His tone was that the Christian vote is not as big of factor as the gay vote. The part about this that stands out to me is that it is not as though these politicians actually care about gay rights all that much. It is the fact that they vote. Not only do they vote, but they are also very vocal in their cause.

Christians on the other hand are nowhere near as involved as they need to be. The fact is that less than half of the Christian community votes. Many of the Christians who do vote don't put their Christian values first. They put union, ethnicity, other issues ahead of their Christianity.

A good friend of mine who used to be highly involved with the local tea party told me that Christians will say they don't vote because government is corrupt. They got it backwards though. Government is corrupt because Christians don't vote and the ones who do don't always vote Christian values first.

I have seen it first hand. I have the utmost respect for my pastor and I have heard him condemn politicians who are pro-choice and support gay marriage. Then I walk in the parking lot of my church and see bumper stickers for the same kind of candidates my pastor speaks against.

My pastor does preach the importance of Christians voting Christian values. As much as I respect my pastor, I have to say that that is JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Christians need to not only vote, but they need to be as vocal as the gays and other special interests. Make no mistake of it. If Christians really made their voice heard, the politicians would listen. They listen to those who vote and keep them in office.

While becoming more vocal will help, it is still not good enough. The fact is that even if the politicians start listening to the loud Christian voice, they will jump ship to a louder voice if it keeps them in office. The only way to prevent that is when you have candidates who stand true to their values no matter how many votes it may cost them.

The only way for that is to have candidates who know and follow the righteous path. Therefore, while voting and making their voice heard are important, the only way for the Christian vote to really be represented is if the churches start producing the candidates. I know so many people are afraid to run for office, but let me tell you that I DID. It was one of the most blessed experiences I have ever had.

I am not a prominent lawyer or CEO or anything of high status. I am a teacher and a security officer. So many people are stuck in this mindset that you have to be of a certain status to run and forget that many of the founding fathers were farmers and working men. That is because our government system was not set up to be all that complicated.

Therefore, we don't need all of our government officials to be from some lavish background. What we do need is more government officials who know and follow two things, The Bible and The Constitution.

Can you imagine that? I can.

Why I Have a Hard Time Supporting Democrats

I am often asked why would someone like you who is not rich support so many republicans when they are all about the big greedy corporations. That always makes me laugh those people don't understand that the party is not about the big corporations but about a concept I believe in. That is free enterprise.

That is a concept falls under our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those are inalienable rights meaning they are given to us by God as described in The Declaration of Independence. The Republicans see success as a good thing and that is why they think highly of big business. That in no way means they don't support small business.

On the other hand, democrats have historically felt a need to place limits on the number of businesses created. They totally disregard the inalienable rights given to us by God and continuously add more government to control the growth. They seem to think that the solution to big business is big government. That only results in big spending.

So why do so many democrats feel this way and why would they disregard our God given rights? Why they do it is for votes. They get endorsed by special interests and unions which in turn creates jobs for votes. The real problem is with the voters though because they often put their union or special interests ahead of their biblical views when voting.

If people voted their Christian values first, we would not have the problems listed above. Now you may be wondering what does free enterprise have to do with the bible. The answer is everything. Prosperity is God's plan for all of us.

So does that mean all republicans will support free enterprise and all democrats will favor more government regulations? Of course not, although that is a general rule. However, there are exceptions to every rule.

So how do voters know how to distinguish between the ones who will fight for free enterprise and the ones who will fight against it? The answer is really simple and I learned this a few months ago when I heard a great man of God, David Barton of Wall Builders, speak.

Take a look at a candidates stance on two issues. The first one is abortion. Right to life is another inalienable right given by God. That alone makes abortion wrong and it also goes against one of the Ten Commandments "Thou Shall not Kill the Innoncent."

The other issue to look at is the candidates stance on homosexual marriage. Genesis 2-24 states "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." That very clearly means that God defines marriage as a covenant with him between a man and a woman.

The truth of the matter to begin with is that no matter how "politically incorrect" it is, homosexuality is a sin. Therefore, those who engage in it are living an unrighteous lifestyle. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. I Corinthians 6-9,10.

Prior to hearing Barton speak, I like so many other voters did not see a connection to these moral issues and economic issues. That is when he said that if a candidate can't get life and traditional family right, then he will not get anything else right either.

That is when it all made sense. If a politician is going to go and make up his own rules that go against God on life and family values, then why would anybody think he won't do that on economic issues?

For that reason if a candidate is pro-choice, he will likely be for gay marriage too. Then he will be against free enterprise in most cases. All of which go against God. Our constitution recognized that we are One nation under God. That meant that government was supposed to go with God and not against him.

The founding fathers recognized that God, and not man, decides what is right and wrong.

How is that a Democrat and a Republican thing? Well, we have a democratic president who endorses homosexual marriage and is pro choice. This is the same president who has created over 400 agencies and demonized big business. In Hawaii, we have a democratic governor who is the same way.

When you think about the politicians who support pro choice and gay marriage, the ones you think of are democrats. I have come to the conclusion that the word DEMOCRAT actually stands for Devil Enjoys Making Own Crazy Rules Any Time.  Who is the last republican you saw fighting for these issues. I am sure there are some, but they are much harder to find.

While I won't say all republicans are good, they at least won't go against God's rules on policies. Democrats do it quite regularly though. Vote however you want but be prepared to live with the consequences if you vote union and other interests ahead of your biblical views.

Church and State in America

Church and State in America is designed to take a look at how government and church were really meant to work together for what is best for the United States. The founding fathers wrote the constitution with biblical principles in mind. In fact, the first thing George Washington did as president was order the printing of hundreds of bibles that were to be used in schools.

The founding fathers actually predicted that if the bible was ever taken out of schools that teenage pregnancy, drug use, crime, sexual immorality, divorce, among other things would all increase. WOW! Were they ever right on that one?

Most Americans believe that America was founded on the idea of separation of church and state. What that was supposed to mean has totally became opposite. It was supposed to mean that one could not be persecuted for their religious beliefs or for sharing them. Has that ever gone the wrong way?

Now we have pastors being arrested for holding bible study's at their home and the Ten Commandments as well as pictures of Jesus being removed everywhere. Are the words "thou shall not kill" really offensive to non-christians? I would think that any religion would follow that principle.

When the country was first founded, candidates would go before pastors who would instruct the congregation who to vote for based on whose values most matched their churches. Can you imagine if that would happen today?

Church and State in America will explore these issues and discuss how to ever return there.