<TITLE>06. Par 21-24</TITLE>L-21 Now, we have just passed two of the major holidays, that we know here in America to be the Christmas time and the New Year's. It's actually not a Christmas. It's a day that we set aside, 'course we realize it isn't the Lord's birthday. He couldn't have been born on December the 25th, because it's--it's so cold up there shepherds could not have been on the hill, and so forth. And if you was ever in Judaea along that time of year, you'd know it wasn't--it wasn't in the wintertime. But it's thought that it was perhaps along in April or May, when lambs are born. And like He come by all nature, just like the regular lambs are born; He was the Lamb of God, and He was born along that time. But I don't suppose that He cares what day we set aside, because the actual day is lost. But it's in commemoration of His birthday.
And instead of we making it a commemoration, and a day of worship to God for His sending His Son to us, we have a celebration. See? We celebrate Christmas. And it is not a celebration. You could celebrate Washington's birthday, or Lincoln's birthday; or some other great man's birthday you might celebrate it. But Christmas should be a day of worship. But we have twisted it around and have made it one of the greatest commercial days. It's all fixed up on passing presents one to another, and having feelings hurt if we don't do it, and pay them back. And it's just twisted all up.

L-22 And then a few weeks ago when wife and I were over in the shopping center in our little village at home, we overheard a conversation of two girls talking. And one of them said, "Well, what did you get mother for Christmas?"
"Oh," she said, "dear, I couldn't think of anything else to get her. But what she'd enjoy more was a pack of--or a carton of cigarettes, and so... for mother." And she said, "I got dad a quart of whiskey." And said, "You know, when..."
And she said, "Well, I'm glad you did that, dear, because I got him a new bunch of poker chips," You see? You see, that's Christmas. See?

L-23 How can the world stand much longer? A celebration... And then, I suppose they presume that that's the right way to do it. See? That's what they're supposing to do. But they're just presuming that. See?
And here comes New Year's around. After New Year's gets around, why, usually the people all have a great New Year's party. And then in this New Year's party, they all get on a great big drunk around midnight. And I suppose they put to death their sins to forget them all, what they've done in the year. They just get so drunk that they forget all about their sins. And I guess they presume that that's the way you get rid of sins. But they're wrong. That only makes more sin. You can't righten anything by doing another wrong. So it's just presuming, drowning out.

L-24 I wonder what people think, that when... And the pleasure of drinking, that they call pleasure... When whiskey becomes into the system, it heats the blood in such a way it addles the mind, the brain, and you become blank. Your mind is so addled until--with the heat of this alcohol in the blood stream, so the doctors say, that it just kinda blanks your mind.
Why, if there was some disease in your body that would make your mind go blank, you'd search every doctor's office in the city to find something to get rid of it. And yet, people celebrate the birthday of Christ, and trying to drown their sorrows by blanking their mind. Don't you realize, my friend, that people--you've got to meet that at the judgment bar? You can't get by with that. But they presume that that's the regular custom here in this nation, is to blanken your mind on Christmas Eve night, or on New Year's Eve night--blanken your mind with drinking.


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