‘But that doesn't matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.’ – Phil 1: 18-19

The celebration of Christmas is no evil as Satan may want to make it believed. Christmas is that season of togetherness for loved ones long seen or perhaps forgotten.

I am a devout Christian. I celebrate Christmas.

Anytime the widely celebrated festive season approaches, I begin to fill some inner sensations in me. Then there arises the nostalgic feelings; memories of long-time friends and our friendship begin to set in my heart, mind and soul.
I got to know about Christmas a few years after I was born. The cooking of mouth-watering rice was the usual indication that families were marking the birth of our undeniable Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
I remember how I used to go the bush together with my pals to cut palm fronts and strong trees to make ‘Christmas Storey Houses’ – a village invented storey building.
It was in the Christmas House we would cook, sleep, and fire our arms. I wish I were still younger.
The house was usually not built by one person alone. It was a collective effort. Perhaps two to five people from the same clan could come together to put up the house. It was well noted that if a fellow did not participate in the putting up of the house, that person was not expected to come near or sit in the house for any festive enjoyment.
Aside from the Christmas storey house, we would also go out to pick dried palm fronts for firewood. The fire was usually lit late in the evening or at dawn. We would surround the burning flame with our bamboo guns. If a friend fired his bamboo gun from the left, another responded from the right and subsequently the next clan closed by would also respond. The responses suddenly became spontaneous making the onomatopoeic sound ‘poo, kpoo, and gbooo …’
The sounds emanating from the guns were so loud that sometimes Christmas loving children from other villages were also responding with their bamboo guns. It was such a fanfare.
Usually, the ladies were not taking part in the firing of the bamboo guns. They would be merely around to clap and to cheer whose gun sounded the loudest. If a brother’s gun sounded a humiliating sound as though it were someone releasing the carbon gas through his anus, that brother was hooted at.
Some elderly people, who would want to make us have fan, may generously buy us cobalt, a blue-black stony substance to enable us celebrate Christmas. One such elderly person was a retired soldier. There were times he would host us in his house. Sometimes he not only bought the cobalt for us but also organised a sumptuous party.
We would load our bamboo guns with the cobalt. The bigger the cobalt, the louder the sound would be and the vice versa. When the cobalt was inserted, a little drop of water would be added to simmer for a few seconds. A foam was used to prevent the vapour from coming out through a pointed hole.
After the cobalt had stopped simmering, we would light a stick, gently release the foam, send the fire close to the pointed hole then ‘gboa’ – we had fired our gun.
During one festive occasion, I became sad when my mother was not able to cook rice for the family. Her excuse was there was no money to buy rice, macaroni, and the other ingredients that others were buying. So, while others were joyfully eating their well-prepared, aromatic Christmas rice with either fried chicken or goat meat, I was in the house salivating and vainly cursing the poverty that had prevented my mother from cooking rice for us.
I grew sadder when a friend, who had eaten rice, came to stretch his unwashed hands around my nose. He nearly caused me to beat the foolishness out of him. If he had known my pains, he wouldn’t have done what he did. Thank God I restrained myself. But I didn’t let him go scot free. I handed him one knock on his empty coconut head.
I became a little relief when one of our neighbours brought us a small bowl full of rice. I wasn’t totally relieved because that small bowl was meant for the entire family. So if I were to eat and be satisfied, I had to eat that food alone. And that was not going to happen. I was only entitled to one spoonful or two.
There came another year, prior to Christmas, my mother had already prepared rice for the family. Meanwhile, it was just a week to Christmas. She could have waited for the usual 25th December. ‘She did that out of mischief.’ I had thought. I mustard courage to confront her on the reason she did not reserve the rice for the Christmas day. She told me that every day was her Christmas and that she was not celebrating the mass Christmas. My mother lied.
‘This is pure mischief.’ I told her.
‘If you say, you don’t celebrate Christmas,’ I interrogated her ’then why have you been buying for us Christmas dress, Santa hats, knockouts (firearms) and glittering lights?’
‘Jesus was not born on 25th December.’ She dodgily answered.
My punishment for the ensuing year was that my mother neither bought for us any Christmas presents or rice. It was there I had learnt that it is not good to insult the crocodile when one is still in the water where crocodile is king. ‘But my mother’s action was a miscalculation’ I encouraged myself.
Now, there are a lot of confused religious teachings about the celebration of Christmas. Some Christian churches claim they don’t celebrate Christmas hence those of us who do, according to them, were marking the day of evil. They thoughtlessly claim that we were celebrating one Roman Pagan festival which was marked between 17th to 25th December.
Those religious fanatics sometimes hold conventions or retreats in the month of December for their members instead. Here, they preach their falsehoods about Christmas festivities. For me, I’d like to say that if you don’t have money to buy Fanta of Coca Cola, don’t say they can booze you. Those one man churches could have organised their conventions in any other month. I think they are playing the game of hide and seek.
My question is was the pagan god called Christ? In my heart, I celebrate the Christ that has washed away the sins of man.
There was this anti-Christ preacher who was also ignorantly speaking evil against Christmas. He always blasphemed the holy name of Jesus Christ in all his public speaking. He relegated the celebration of Christmas to paganism. Hence, according to him, Christians were only celebrating the devil.
Pathetically, another anti-Christ crusader, who is also blinded not to see the glory of Christ Jesus by the god of this age, has opined that the celebration of Christmas was undoubtedly evil. According to this critic, whenever it was Christmas, some places experience some fatal accidents. And by that the demons we have been celebrating are the ones gulping the blood of the accident victims. Oh good heavens, may you not bear witness against these blasphemers!
Brethren, it is awesomely good to celebrate the ever glorious astounding birth of Christ Jesus, our Lord, Redeemer, Rock of Ages, Ancient of Days, Alpha and Omega, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Eternal Father, Counsellor, Messiah, King of kings, I am that I am … I can’t even proclaim all His glorious appellations.
Once more, the celebration of Christmas does not make a Christian less or higher a son of God. The intention behind what one does is what will be judged on the day of reckoning. There is no escaping that obligation. It is a day no one wants to witness. Not me either. I dreaded that day of the Lord so much, but by the Saving Grace of this Messiah, who is Christ Jesus, whose birthday, I am gladly marking, I am no longer afraid of judgment.
I have Christ in me and His Holy Spirit, which confirms my identity as a son of God, has enabled me to pass over judgment. So I am only waiting for this Messiah to come for me into His wonderful Kingdom where there is no sin. He will wipe every tear from my eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. Forever, my troubles are gone for ever.
The birth of Christ gives me joy and hope that the Adamic world of sin that was designed by Satan will be no more.
Look! When Satan was cast down onto this earth, the heavens cried, ‘woes unto the earth.’ But when the Saviour was born, the same heaven cried, ‘peace be unto the earth.’ Why should others ignorantly tell us not to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ? This is shear wickedness. May Heaven not bear witness against them on the day of judgement. Shame!
One unarguable fact is Jesus Christ of Nazareth was not born on 25th December. I agree. The bible only says He was born during the cold season. No specific date was recorded. But by human understanding and perhaps inspired by God, we celebrate Christmas on 25th December every year. Who are you to condemn us?
During this 2015 Christmas, by the Saving Grace of Christ Jesus, I was able to win two lost souls into the Righteous Kingdom of God. The lost souls were those who were taught to believe that Jesus is not the Son of God but a mere human like us who was just a certain ‘prophet.’ Shame haters of Christmas!
I was inspired by one Hindu priest’s daughter’s testimony that she used to hear about Jesus Christ through Christmas cards and Christian missionaries talking to her about Jesus Christ. When she was struck by a demonic disease by the very demons she was serving, it took Christ Jesus to save her poor life when she shouted the name that is above all other names ‘JESUSSSSS!!!!’ At the mention of this name, she saw the brightest light in her room and the healing hand of Jesus Christ touched her. Immediately, she became healed. She also heard the audible voice of Jesus Christ saying ‘I am Jesus, I am God …’ Are they still saying we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas?
Don’t they know that through the celebration, those who don’t believe in Christ and are pathetically on the way to the slaughter house are being saved every year?
Yes, the manner in which some so-called Christians celebrate Christmas is truly appalling. Those thieves, who were smuggled into the Christian family, are making Christmas to look somewhat a fanfare activity. They celebrate wild parties and fornicate day and night. Sometimes some pharmaceutical stores record zero condoms. The drinking bars see high patronage of alcoholic beverages among others.
Ignore those lovers of iniquity. Ignore those sexually immoral, ignore those idolaters. Ignore those agents of darkness.

Embrace Christmas! It is a season of love, togetherness (not wild parties), forgiveness, peace, joy, remembrance among others. Chabot
I am a Christian - a disciple of Christ, a preacher of the Righteous Kingdom of Christ. I believe that Christ was born. He died and resurrected for my sake. I owe him my life. Forever I am His slave! In Him I find eternal peace and joy. I worship Him. My generations shall serve Him. Only Him. There is none beside Him. Only He is the Lord God Almighty!

Here is the conclusion of the matter. Whether people celebrate Christmas the wrong or right way, that doesn't matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice

The writer is Bright Selasie Yao Avornyo, the Public Relations Officer of Immanuel Academy (WASSCE) Remedial School at Osu. His email is allknowing00@yahoo.com