The General Overseer of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor W.F Kumuyi, has again warned members of the church against celebrating Christmas, saying the annual celebration of Christmas is idolatrous and unscriptural.
Kumuyi warned that partaking in the celebration made Christians to go back from the commandment of Jesus Christ. Read the ful story after the cut...
The cleric said this on Saturday at the annual national December convention of the church, which held at the church’s camp ground in Ogun State.
He said, “We don’t celebrate Christmas. It actually came from idolatrous background. That is why you don’t hear us sing what they call Christmas carol, Never! We always say it is the December retreat. We are only gathering together because it is the holiday period and love the lord more, and rededicate ourselves more.
“When you find anybody coming in, or any leader, trying to introduce the idolatry of mystery Babylon, that they call Christmas and you want to bring all the Christmas carol saying that is the day that Jesus was born, and you don’t find that in the Acts of the Apostles or in the early church, then you don’t find that in the church either. If you don’t know that before, now you know.”
He warned that any of the church’s leaders that tried to introduce the “idolatry of Christmas” into any section of the church would be sanctioned, while also encouraging other believers in Christ to jettison the celebration as part of their sacrifice to perfection.
Kumuyi said the duty of the church was to make people more like Jesus Christ and not join in worldly celebrations.
“We are not trying to make the church turn like the world. We want it to be like Jesus Christ, and more like the Apostles. If you don’t have that mind with us, then you have permission to go to other places,” he added.
But the Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, in his reaction to Kumuyi’s proclamation, said, “I don’t know what he means by saying the practice of celebrating Christmas is wrong.
“Is he saying that Christ wasn’t born? That he didn’t come to die for us? Does he not celebrate his own birthday? Do Kumuyi’s pastors not celebrate him? It is not everything I react to; some people just seek attention. If Kumuyi is a Christian, then he must believe in Christ.
“The celebration of Christmas didn’t just start today; it is too public an event for anyone to say that they don’t know what it is about. “If Kumuyi is condemning the commercialisation of Christmas, I can understand that. Christ came to redeem us from our lost state; this was actualised through his coming, his birth; that is why we celebrate Christmas. It is the fulfilment of God’s promise.”
“I saw him on the television a few days ago. He was in Akwa Ibom State and was the chief preacher during their Christmas celebration event. Kumuyi is just saying what he feels; he is not making any doctrinal statement.”
The spokesperson for the Christian Association of Nigeria, Oshodi chapter, Lagos State, Pastor Barnabas Otoibhi, said that Christmas was worth celebrating.
Otoibhi told one our correspondents in a telephone interview that the origin of Christmas was not as important as its essence.
He said, “The origin of Christmas, as we know it, could be traced to Roman Emperor, Constantine. Christmas was a day for celebrating the Sun God. However, because Constantine was a Christian, the day was changed to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
“The tradition has continued to date and since the aim of Christmas is to celebrate Jesus since there is nothing bad in honouring Jesus. Also, the worship of the Sun God was done in Rome and not everywhere in the world, so it is not part of our history.
“We mark Christmas with the singing of songs as a day, which has now been consecrated.”
There are certain things some of these Pastors like Kumuyi say that sounds funny in any reasonable ears. Now because a set of pagans where converted from Worshiping the Sun and mark the conversion with the celebration of the birth of the Real Sun, the real light that lightens the world, it becomes paganism and Idolatrous?
ReplyDeleteHe can equally say it is Idolatrous when Apostle Paul used a symbol with an inscription written Unknown God in one of his epistle to describe the Almighty God. This is simply a cheap attention to oneself. This is a typical of those that neglect the honour given to Mary the mother of Jesus Christ but end up honoring their Pastors and wives by calling them Mum and Dad even venerably.
We have to respect and applaud the effort of our early Christians. I should ask what they understand by the command of "what you bind on Earth, its bound in Heaven and what you loose on earth, has been loosen in Heaven. These Early Christians Established Christmas and Heaven Established it. We should know that it is to the Glory of God that His followers acknowledged His birth. Those who do not agree with Christmas simply have a godly formation but deny the power that empowers them to Establish and Nullify. Those who often say is it in the bible neglect the power given to us to bind and loose. They can strongly say that all those good Christ did that was not written in the bible are evil because it is not written in the bible. I do wish to assert that the bible you quote is been organized by the early imperfect Catholic Bishops and given to you. If the Holy Spirit that guided them to organize it inspires you to establish anything that is to the glory of God, it shall be a sin for you to call it Idolatry. GOD IS STILL SAYING SOMETHING. Note that the WISE still listen to what He says.
Yes! Christ gave explicit order to celebrate his death because it shall be an act of empowerment given to the altar that will fight against the altar of evil. I believe that almost all the Pentecostal institutions do not have this altar where this memorial sacrifice on the altar is made. Christ equally gave an explicit other to do this with bread and wine but it is never done in most Christian institutions yet is never considered disobedience by many.
Should anyone who is against the celebration of the birth of the Saviour be seen as a Christian? Definitely, it is ironical for one who does not believe in celebrating the birth of one to believe the death of one. Whoever that does not believe Christmas lacks an honour for Christ. Kumuyi should have a rethink.
It could easily be said that CHRISTIANITY is Idolatrous because it replaced JUDAISM which replaced the religion of the Jews which was Established by God before Christ. It is not wise for the Evangelization Christ made if Evangelization of Christmas is not good in regards to the worship of Sun.
We can look at this from this perspective; Christmas came to let the people know that Jesus Christ is the real and true Light which lightens the world and for that reason, shall be celebrated.
Written by Chima Martin Mbagwu.