The 2,000 year old rumor that is still being spread around the world

We all know how rumors are spread. One person hears or sees something and tells someone else. That person tells another person who tells another, who tells another, who tells another, and so on. Rumors can travel like wildfire through neighborhoods, cities, towns, countries, across oceans, and nowadays, over the Internet. Long before you or I was born a rumor got started that is still being spread around the world more than 2,000 years later.

The rumor is that shepherds were in a field one night watching their sheep when suddenly an angel appeared to them saying: "Today, in the town of David, a savior has been born to you; He is Christ, the Lord. This will be a sign to you. You will find the baby wrapped in clothes lying in a manger (Luke 2:11 NIV)." After the initial shock of this unexpected heavenly visitation, one of the shepherds said: "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing [check out this rumor] that has happened, which the Lord has told us about (Luke 2:15 NIV)." So, off they went to Bethlehem leaving their sheep behind.

When they arrived days later, they found the mother Mary, father Joseph and the promised baby just as the angel had said. Now these shepherds had a choice, they could have just observed the happenings at the stable, hung around worshiping and getting their praise on and then returned home to the fields. After all, they had busy jobs with a flock of hungry, needy sheep to feed and care for. Instead of going home and keeping what they had witnessed to themselves, these transformed shepherds set out across the land to "spread the word [rumor] concerning what had been told to them about this child. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them (Luke 2:17 NIV)."

Today, by the power of the Holy Spirit, this rumored birth of Christ Jesus, the savior for all humankind, which the shepherds spread thousands of years ago, is still being spread around the world on every known continent by Christians everywhere. Perhaps you too are a believer today because somebody told somebody who told somebody, who told somebody, and that somebody told you about the Good News that a Savior called Christ Jesus was born into the world to save us from ours sins. The question now is, "Who have you told?"

To learn more about Jesus the Christ, go to peacewithgod.net

How happy holiday leaves Christ out of Christmas

In 2009, President and Mrs. Obama broke with a longstanding tradition by announcing that the White House holiday card would expressly omit any mention of Christmas or of Jesus' birth. Merry Christmas was replaced by Happy Holidays on cards sent out from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The growing trend to omit the mention of Christmas from the holiday's celebration has been steadily creeping into American culture. Merry Christmas critics are quick to point out that Happy Holidays is much more inclusive of the other holiday observances taking place in December namely, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

Photo by Dan Dennison/Getty Images

What's so interesting though is that nobody seems to have a problem with Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa greetings or displays, only with Merry Christmas. Clearly, there's a definite bias against Christmas. Christmas symbols, like the nativity, have come under attack by anti-Christmas groups, and in a few cases, the courts have declared them to be illegal in public places in some communities.

No such attacks have come against Hanukkah or Kwanzaa symbols. It's OK to trim the Christmas tree and give gifts as long as there's no mention of Jesus Christ. And like the Presidential holiday card, many people send out greeting cards full of holiday cheer, but no mention of the real joy that came into the world with Christ's birth.

The proclamation of Jesus' birth must not end with the shepherds. Those who follow the Christ of Christmas must proclaim this gospel message until the day that Christ returns. Christians have an obligation, in spite of the criticism, to declare the real reason for the Christmas season, which is that Christ came into the world to save sinners. The shepherds left their sheep, probably lost their jobs to spread the good news of Christ's coming. These words—

For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)

—still have power to change lives in any season. This is the hallmark of the Christmas message to be shared with a world searching for peace.

Stand up for Christmas. If someone says, Happy Holidays it's their right, but it's also your right to respond with Have a blessed Christmas or Merry Christmas. This Christmas, before opening gifts, read the biblical account of Christ's birth in the Gospels. And may this Christmas season be as the angels proclaimed long ago in Bethlehem—

Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.

Note: This author is a Christian who believes in saying, "Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy Kwanzaa."