World Mission Society Church of God - Christmas is not birthday of Jesus

World Mission Society Church of God follows teachings of Christ Ahnsahnghong and Mother.

Christmas is not birthday of Jesus

Christmas is a popular festival which is celebrated throughout the world. When the Christmas season arrives, in December, everyone gets into the festive spirit. Most people are under the impression that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday, the day when He came into the world to give blessings and eternal hope to mankind; however, the Church of God—believing in the Second Coming Christ—does not celebrate Christmas, because it is not the birthday of Jesus.

In fact, within Christmas is hidden a deceitful trick of Satan. The devil has tricked many people into worshiping the sun god by allowing them to fall into the illusion that they are sincerely worshiping God in the proper way.

Actually, Christmas is a festival to the sun god, Baal, and thus, those who keep the festival are rebelling against God. Satan has deceived people into mistaking Christmas for the birthday of Jesus, and by this cunning deception, Satan has come to be unwittingly served by all the people of the world. Many people try to justify themselves, saying, "We celebrate Christmas because it is the birthday of Jesus." However, Christmas—December 25th—is the birthday of the sun god, Nimrod, who was the first model of the Antichrist. Christmas originated in the festival of Saturnalia, and is a subtle scheme—devised by Satan—to destroy our souls.

Satan always tries to turn us away from the way that God has commanded us to follow: "You shall have no other gods before me," "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything." Today, Satan is prowling around, like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. In order to resist him, we should be alert, standing firm in our faith. In today’s world, lies are prevalent—and most consider these lies to be the truth—because this generation does not hesitate in following the ways that are against God. We need to be able to discern the truth from all of the falsehood. By examining numerous sources of evidence, we can clearly understand that December 25th was not the birthday of Jesus, but the birthday of the sun god.

Now, let’s look carefully at various materials which testify that the date of Jesus’ birth was not December 25th, and that this date was the birthday of the sun god, as it had been celebrated in ancient Rome. Even though all of the people living in this age believe that lies and falsehood are the truth, we are the ones who must restore the truth.

World Mission Society Church of God - Baptism 3

World Mission Society Church of God follows teachings of Christ Ahnsahnghong and Mother.


Baptism and the Book of Life

Jesus said, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." To be "born again" means to be born a second time?being born of the Spirit (John 3:1-8). As one's name is recorded in the census when he is born, so is one's name written in the book of life after he is born again of the Spirit. Therefore, when someone is baptized, his name is written in the Church's book of life, and most importantly, is also written in the book of life in heaven.

Matt. 16:19 『"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."』

Like this, when one's name is written in the book of life on earth, it is also written in the book of life in heaven. The Apostle Paul said:

1 Cor. 4:15 『...for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.』 Phil. 3:20 『But our citizenship is in heaven.』

Phil. 4:3 『Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.』

And Jesus said:

Luke 10:20 『"However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."』

Ps. 69:27-28 『Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.』

Even if we diligently believe in God, unless our names are written in the book of life, we can never enter the kingdom of heaven. As it is written:

Rev. 20:15 『If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.』

Rev. 21:27 『Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.』

Isa. 4:3-4 『Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.』

The prophet Daniel wrote:

Dan. 12:1 『"At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people?everyone whose name is found written in the book?will be delivered."』

But David, the writer of Psalms, wrote:

Ps. 69:27-28 『Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.』

Even though someone's name has been written in the book of life, his name will be blotted out of the book of life if he commits the unforgivable sin.

Rev. 3:5-6 『"He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels."』

Through baptism, we receive the forgiveness of our sins, our names are written in the book of life in heaven, and we are born again with a new life, just as Jesus was raised from the dead. That is why we are baptized. If we have not been baptized, we cannot keep the Passover, and unless we keep the Passover, our names cannot be written in the book of life. We must be baptized, and then keep the Passover, so that we can escape the last plagues and enter the eternal kingdom of heaven.

World Mission Society Church of God - Baptism 2

World Mission Society Church of God follows teachings of Christ Ahnsahnghong and Mother.

When Should We Be Baptized?

Baptism is the first step toward receiving God's favor, through which we receive the forgiveness of sins. It has been likened to the birth of a baby coming out of the womb. As our body is born from the womb and then learns about the world one by one, our spirit removes its sins and transgressions through baptism, being born again as a child of God. Then, after baptism, we learn about God's providence and the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

Eph. 1:7-9 『In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding...』

Without receiving the forgiveness of sins, we cannot be given the wisdom to recognize God. Therefore it is against God's will to insist that baptism should be given after six or twelve months of studying. If we want to believe in God, we should be baptized first. After, we are given the opportunity to participate in God's divine nature through our life of faith.

Here are some examples of those who, upon hearing the good news of Jesus, participated in God's righteousness by being baptized.

A eunuch who was in charge of the treasury of Candace [queen of the Ethiopians] was baptized while traveling along the road, immediately after Philip had testified to him about the Christ (Acts 16:13-15). A woman named Lydia, a purple cloth dealer, received Paul's message and believed in Jesus; she, and her household, was baptized immediately (Acts 16:13-15). And a jailer, who patrolled the gate of the prison where Paul and Silas were confined, heard about Jesus. Immediately he and his family came to believe in Jesus, and were baptized (Acts 16:25-33). Baptism means the rebirth of our spirit and it is the starting point of our faith in God.

Through baptism, we promise God that we will repent of our past sins and that we will follow the will of God. In return, God promises that he will remember us in the time of Judgment.

Suppose there is a church that insists that someone should be baptized after six months or one year, after his faith has grown. If he dies while learning the doctrines of this particular denomination?without having the promise of God's salvation who will be responsible for his soul


Baptism and Rebirth

All men are destined to die because of their sin. The kingdom of heaven is a place where our physical bodies can never step foot. Even though our bodies are slaves to sin and destined to die, God allows us the opportunity to return to heaven. To enter the eternal kingdom, our spirit should be born again.

John 3:3-5 『In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit."』

To be born again, our body must first die to pay for our sins. To make us realize this principle (of the forgiveness of sins and rebirth), Jesus made atonement for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross and then resurrecting. As Jesus died on the cross, our body should be buried through baptism. And as Jesus rose from death, we are to be born again as the righteous, only after our sins are forgiven through the grace of Christ.

1 Pet. 3:21 『...and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also─not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.』

Rom. 6:3-11 『Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life...Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him...In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.』

The purpose of the law of baptism is not to wash the dirt off of our body, but to wash the sin off of our soul, so that we may be revived.

World Mission Society Church of God - Baptism 1

World Mission Society Church of God follows teachings of Christ Ahnsahnghong and Mother.

Man is mortal. Why has man become a slave to death? The Bible tells us that all men come to die on account of their sin.

We cannot have life when we are still filled with sin. In order to receive eternal life, our sins must be disposed of. Baptism is the first step we can take toward salvation. Through this gracious regulation of God, our sins are cleansed and we are atoned.

Therefore, the Church of God performs baptism, according to the teaching of the Second Coming Christ Ahnsahnghong.


The Origin of Baptism

God promised His people that He would send the prophet Elijah to prepare the way for Him; Elijah would appear before God came to the earth as the Messiah. The purpose of Elijah's coming was to testify about the Messiah, and to "make straight" the way for Him.

Isa. 40:3 『A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God."』

John the Baptist was sent to fulfill the mission of Elijah. He preached the news of repentance to the Israelites who did not obey the words of God, being confined within their hypocritical faith.

Matt. 3:7-9 『But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'" 』

Mark 1:4-5 『And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.』

John did not baptize people by his own will, but according to the orders he had received from God, who had sent him.

God established the principle of the forgiveness of sins through baptism, so that we could realize that baptism is one of God's righteous laws, given to us for our salvation (1 John 1:33). Therefore, Jesus set the example of being baptized, by John the Baptist, to institute baptism as a sacred law.

Matt. 3:14-15 『But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness."』

Matt. 21:32 『For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him..." 』

Baptism, the truth of righteousness, was not only an ordinance to testify about Jesus, but it was also a law of the new covenant, for Jesus himself baptized people and set the example of being baptized with water (Matt. 3:16).

John 3:22-23 『After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.』

World Mission Society Church of God - Soul 3

World Mission Society Church of God follows teachings of Christ Ahnsahnghong and Mother.


The Apostle Peter's Thoughts About the "Spirit"

The Apostle Peter always remembered what Jesus had told him before His ascension.

John 21:18-19 『"I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.』

When Peter's life of the gospel was about to come to an end, he worried about the saints, remembering what Jesus had told him.

2 Pet. 1:13-14 『I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.』

Peter described his death as "putting aside" the tent of the body, and as his "departure." It is clear that it is Peter's spirit that would leave his body. While his spirit was in a fleshly body, the body itself became his spirit's house; after his spirit's departure, the body would return to the ground.

We study the apostles' thoughts to know the teachings that they learned from Jesus. Through the apostles' explanations of the spirit, we can clearly understand that Jesus Christ had taught and revealed that the spirit exists within men.


My True Life

We often wonder, "Who am I?" Some say, "Man eats to live," while others argue that, "Man lives to eat." Neither of these opinions is correct.

Our main essence is not our physical body, but the spirit inside our body. Our spirit lives in the tent we call our "body." When we go camping, we only stay in a tent for a few days, don't we? The time we spend in the tent is temporary. Likewise, our life within the body?our tent?is only a temporary life.

If we live for our physical body, it means that we are living for our house. Life is to live for ourselves, not for the houses we dwell in.

In our life of faith, we sometimes focus on our physical life more than our spiritual life. Of course, as long as we are in the body, we can't deny the physical life; however, if we live only for a temporary tent which will soon disappear, how pitiful will our life be?

We live in these tents because of our sin, but after we receive the forgiveness of our sins, redemption?under the grace of Christ, the Passover Lamb?our eternal houses wait for us. Let's reconsider what we should focus on while we live on this earth.

2 Cor. 4:18 『So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.』

World Mission Society Church of God - Soul 2

World Mission Society Church of God follows teachings of Christ Ahnsahnghong and Mother.

Jesus Taught Us About the "Spirit"

The concept of "spirit" became clearer in the New Testament.

Matt. 10:28 『"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."』

In this verse, Jesus describes the same creation process as in Genesis chapter two, revealing the separation between the death of the body [the dust] and the death of the spirit.

The Greek word for soul in this verse is "pneuma," which means "spirit."

John 4:24 『"God is spirit [pneuma]." 』

2 Cor. 33:17 『Now the Lord [Jesus] is the Spirit [pneuma].』

Heb. 1:14 『Are not all angels ministering spirits [pneuma]...?』

God is spirit and doesn't belong in the flesh. Jesus is spirit and doesn't belong in the flesh. Angels are also spirits who do not belong in the flesh. Thus, a man's death can be separated into two events: the death of the flesh and the death of the spirit. The devil, or another man, can kill our body, but it is only God who can destroy our spirit.

The Apostle Paul, in a letter to the Church in Corinth, wrote as follows:

1 Cor. 2:11 『For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit [pneuma] within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit [pneuma] of God.』

Jesus taught us that the true essence of our life is not our flesh, but our spirit.


The Apostle Paul's Thoughts About the "Spirit"

We try to understand the apostles' minds because their thoughts were established by Jesus' teachings. The apostles understood that our flesh is merely the house of our spirit.

2 Cor. 5:1 『Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed [if our flesh dies], we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.』

Our spirit lives in a temporary earthly tent?our flesh?now, but it will live in an eternal house that God has built for us.

2 Cor. 5:6 『Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord....We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.』

In this letter, the Apostle Paul says that the Lord [Jesus] dwells in the world of spirit and that we dwell in the world of flesh. Thus we are away from the Lord as long as we are in the body. The Apostle Paul also reveals that he, and the rest of the saints, would prefer to be away from their bodies and at home with the Lord.

In the above verses, what is the entity that dwells in the body and then leaves the body? Paul's spirit, the very essence of Paul, is the one who wants to leave the body. The body he wore was not the essence of his life, but instead, Paul's spirit?dwelling within his body?was his true self. To say it again, the Apostle Paul lived not for the temporary life in his earthly tent [his flesh], but he longed for the life that he would live in the eternal house. God would give him this everlasting home only after his spirit left its earthly tent.

The Apostle Paul wrote similarly in a letter to the saints in Philippi.

Phil. 1:21-24 『For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain....I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.』

Paul's words, "We...would prefer to be away from the body," in the book of 2 Corinthians 5:6 and the words, "I desire to depart," in the book of Philippians chapter one, have the same meanings. "To be away," or "to depart," means to leave the body. What is the entity that dwells in the body or leaves it? It is Paul's spirit, the true essence of Paul.

Paul revealed that it was more necessary for the saints that he remained in his body. If Paul were to leave his body [if he were to die], he would go to Christ; thus it was good for him to leave the body. If he remained in the body, however, it was good for the saints because then he could teach them the truth of God and guide them down the right path.

Paul also uttered a revelation that God had shown him in another letter to the Church in Corinth.

2 Cor. 12:1 『I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know?God knows. And I know that this man?whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows.』

When Paul saw this revelation, he said twice, "...whether I [my spirit] was in the body or out of the body I do not know?God knows."

According to this verse, did the Apostle Paul think that the spirit existed as a separate entity from the body, or did he believe that the spirit did not exist?

If the Apostle Paul believed that the spirit did not exist, could he have said, "Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know?God knows"...? When Paul saw this revelation?describing himself as "a man" he knew (speaking in the third person)?he didn't know whether his spirit had traveled out of the body, or if he had gone to such a paradise in his flesh.

World Mission Society Church of God - Soul 1

World Mission Society Church of God follows teachings of Christ Ahnsahnghong and Mother.

"What happens to a man when he dies?"..."Does a man really have a spirit?"... "Where does a man go when he dies?" Questions such as these have been a matter of great interest throughout history, but no one has been able to answer them. Men eager to find such answers wrote great philosophies, but mere philosophers could never realize how they had been created.

Christ Ahnsahnghong came to the earth, established the Church of God, and taught us that all men are angels who have come to the earth after sinning in heaven. He let us know how valuable we are and revealed to us the true purpose of our lives.


The Spirit Revealed Through the Creation of Human Beings

Gen. 2:7 『...The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.』

The dust is not the essence of life; God didn't name the dust itself a "living being." Only after God had breathed the breath of life into the dust, did He call it a "living being." Therefore, the essence of life is not the flesh, but the breath of life, the spirit that God breathed into the dust. Man's flesh is made from the dust, but his spirit is made by God, and is from God.

Solomon wrote, "The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it" (Eccl. 12:7).