Memories of Christmas Past on Christmas Eve 2021

Christmas spirit

Memories of Christmas present, in many cases, are completely different from those memories of Christmas past.

In other words, if the reader is of an age that Christmas 2021 is not that different from Christmas 2019 or 2018, then the reader is likely NOT old enough to have experienced Christmas when it was a season largely characterized by genuine feelings of “goodwill to men.”

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
–Luke 2:8-14

One memory of Christmas past is of the all-pervasive tunes which marked the Christmas season THEN compared to the holiday music blaring NOW.

‘Christmas music’ THEN consisted largely of Christmas-time carols popularized by those who frequented the churches.

Examples of this music are: O Little Town of Behlehem, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, Angels We Have Heard On High, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, We Three Kings and Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing. These songs focused on Biblical Christmas themes and the glory of God assuming human form with the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Alas!  Those songs from Christmas Past have all but disappeared from the public airwaves, be it on the radio or broadcast in stores while customers shopped for sugar plums. They have been replaced by a bright bouquet of secular tunery–many of them concentrating on pagan notions of YULE.

Examples of the overplayed secular music catalog of Christmas Present are Santa Baby, Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer and All I Want For Christmas (is My Two Front Teeth), along with the earlier secular (and more sedate–and more accepted) Silver Bells, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and Jingle Bells.

The tunes from this second group have almost COMPLETELY supplanted those songs from the first group of Christmas music–except for a few weeks at the end of the year in some of the churches.

ANOTHER memory which is largely one from Christmas Past is a Christmas Parade featuring floats with ideas from the birth of Jesus (never mind that Christmas is NOT the birthday of Jesus)–instead of the more usual reindeer, Santa Claus and elves throwing cheap candy to the spectators.

TODAY’s Modern Christmas Parades feature a LOT of motion; a LOT of gyrating and a LOT of gaudy, colored lights.

It is guessed that some of the Parade floats from Christmas Past would have just stunned today’s parade-goers into silence.  Mostly because today’s parade-goers are without a clue as to what Biblical themes are.

One memory from Christmas Past which has been held over–at least for a few–to Christmas Present is the utilization of Christmas Eve as a GREAT time to contemplate the past year and speculations on what the coming year will bring.

Additionally, this (the contemplation) can be accomplished WITHOUT falling snow OR spiced egg nog.

FINALLY, one last memory from Christmas Past.

Stores USED to be stocked with merchandise for sale–instead of the customer constantly being told, “Oh, we don’t keep any of that here.  You’ll have to order it and then we can ship it to you in 2 days or less!  It’s REALLY fast!”

Which brings back a piece of advice which appears to have been forgotten or ignored in these modern times in which we now live.

“You can’t sell it if you don’t have it.”

This was particularly applicable to the gift-buying season of Christmas Past.

The world NOW is in the middle of convincing folks that it’s better to order and wait and HOPE you get what you paid for.

And that facet of Christmas Present may explain where we are in the end times better than all the memories of more ‘normal’ times put together.

MORE: Living in the End Times: The New Retail

MORE: New Retail: Excitement in the World’s Marketplace

DOES the reader have any memories of a previous Christmas which greatly differ from the public displays which mark the world’s ‘celebration ‘ of Christmas TODAY?

It is not YET too late: there is still a little time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

A Reminder: The Gospel is Simple

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: December 24-26, 2021.]

MORE

MORE

RELATED ARTICLES

by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash.com

© Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-19. © Mondo Frazier and End Times Prophecy Report, DBKP 2007-2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Link Disclaimer: inclusion of links to other blogs/websites is not necessarily an endorsement of all content posted in those blogs/websites.

[NOTE: The following articles are from a service. We neither endorse nor at times have much control over them–although we do, of course, enjoy articles originating from this website on this service. Some articles illustrate points made in ETPR articles; some are merely for the reader’s edification or education.

ALL such links appearing in End Times Prophecy Headlines, such as those below, should originate at ETPR.

RE: our link disclaimer: there are links, from time-to-time which appear on this site which we neither approve nor endorse. The frequency of these types of links will no doubt grow worse. All effort is made to remove such links when we become aware of them.]

Related articles

Author: Jeremiah J Jameson

End Times Prophecy Report - Publisher and author

Love it? Hate it? Be biblical! We occasionally respond to biblical comments, questions and/or remarks.