Overview of GKS Freedom Day, (Christ’s birth anniversary) 2021

By Sam Eyoboka & Benedict Hart

THE God’s Kingdom Society, (GKS), The Church of the Living God, to the chagrin of some – observes the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ in the month of October instead of the popular December 25.

It is celebrated by way of divine Services at various centres on all Sundays in the month of October every year. But since the Devil and his agents have conspired to ensure that the COVID-19 Pandemic stays around for a while longer, Christians have to find ways of adjusting to prevailing circumstances by skirting the mines and cesspools that dog their every step while carrying on with their lives.

Thus, to avoid overcrowding of halls, the observance had to be scaled down to branch levels so that social distancing could be observed in accordance with government directives. To the members this had its downsides but it was way better than 2019 when all services were held online.

There was a sprinkling of radio programmes, if only to calm the nerves of those who feel there was splitting hairs and merely quibbling by her undue emphasis on this “October thing”, we had the privilege of being the subject of two such radio interviews. In restating the now well-worn fact that, contrary to what is stated in the Catechism, Christ was not born on December 25, we made reference to John Barton, Professor of the Interpretation of the Holy Scripture at Oriel College, Oxford University, who said most academics agreed with Pope Benedict XVI that: “The idea that Christ was born on December 25 has no basis in historical fact”. He adds: “The whole idea of celebrating his birth during the darkest part of the year is probable linked to pagan traditions and the winter solstice.” —Daily Telegraph (of London), November 21, 2012.

But John A. Sarkett, in his work “After Armageddon and under”, while explaining that the Yule log burned in the fireplace on Christmas eve represented the sun-god Nimrod and his own son Tammuz –  states matter of factly: “So our Christmas tree – and our Yule log – have tremendous meaning, but not a Christian meaning. The Yule log is the dead Nimrod, human ruler of ancient Babylon, who was eventually deified as the sun incarnate, and hence a god. The Christmas tree is mystical Tammuz, the slain god come to life again”. 

Thus, the issue is more about the fact that Christmas or Yuletide observance is the celebration of “assimilated remnants of ancient midwinter rituals that celebrate the returning light of the sun following the winter solstice”. According to Encarta Encyclopedia, “Sun worship persisted in Europe even after the introduction of Christianity, as is evidenced by its disguised survival in such traditional Christian practices as the Easter bonfire and the Yule log on Christmas”.

The True Bible Code published by the Lord’s Witnesses (Great Britain October 2000) weighs in on the matter: “In Scandinavia, the great feast of Yule with all its various ceremonies, had celebrated the birth of the winter sun-god. In the Latin countries there reigned Saturnalia, a cult of the god Saturn.

The date December 25, coincided also with the birth of Attis, a Phrygian cult of the sun-god, introduced into Rome under the Empire. The popular feasts attached to the births of other sun-gods such as Mithras, were also invariably celebrated at the time of the winter solstice.” It further says: “The transition from festivals commemorating the birth of a sun god to a celebration ostensibly for the Son of God occurred sometime in the fourth century.” 

Unable to eradicate the heathen celebration of Saturnalia, the Church sometime before 336 AD, designated a Feast of the Nativity to be observed on December 25!

How many have thought of the fact that the word Christmas is derived from the old English words, Christes maesse, meaning “the mass of Christ”. The mass is the service of which the major part is “the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist” which is based on the doctrine of “transubstantiation”, the teaching that  “The Priests … CHANGE the bread into the body of our Lord, and the wine into His blood.”

Many churches however pooh-pooh this doctrine saying it amounts to cannibalism, since the Bible condemns eating of blood. (Leviticus 17:12-13; Deuteronomy 12:23,34) However, those who do not believe that the bread and the wine they take during the Holy Communion are the very body and blood of Christ still believe in Christmas, meaning they have not taken time to examine what they celebrate.

There were also those who contended in the course of the interviews, that since Christ did not give any commandment for his birth to be celebrated, there was no need to observe it. But without the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, human beings would have been like the “beasts that perish”.   (Psalm 49:12, 20) After death, there would have been no chance of life for anybody. Since all the children of Adam were born in sin, (Romans 5:12; 3:23) only our Lord Christ – “the second Adam” – could pay back the perfect life lost by Adam in the Garden of Eden. The law of God is that (a perfect) life must go for (a perfect) life. (Deuteronomy 19:21; Hebrews 2:9, 14,15;1 Peter 1:18-20; 1 Corinthians 15:45.

We should also not lose sight of the fact that the angels themselves showed us the example by heralding the birth of the son of God with songs of praise to God. (Luke 2:8-14) Moreover,  the Bible gives allowance for people of God to do whatever will bring glory to God, though such may not be expressly commanded in the Bible. Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”.

What is the message of the Church to her members and the world on this Freedom day? The message of the Acting President, Brother Felix Ekundayo Adedokun was “The Judgment of God is upon the earth.” The judgments of God are His determinations and pronouncements now being proclaimed in this age, called the Last Day by His ministers to the end that all earnest-minded people should turn from the works of darkness to walk in the light of Christ. The judgment of the living – the preaching of the truth – will be concluded before the judgment of the dead will take place. (2 Timothy 4:1; John 12:48; Amos 8:11-12; Luke 13:24-27) While condemning a number of societal ills for which God will judge the world, the address says:  “Many people today regard themselves as their own ultimate authority. They are obsessed with sexual immorality and perversion, greed for money and love for honour. Many churches have abandoned the Bible for human philosophies that promote homosexuality. They appoint women as pastors and bishops, endorse evolution and even say there is no God. The churches will tolerate anything in order to have large congregations and increase their wealth. (1 Timothy 4:1, 2-4; 6:1-5; Acts 20:28-31; 2 Peter 2:1-3)”

It must be emphasized that no one can escape the judgment of God. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10. See also Romans 14:10,12; Matthew 12:36-37) What is more, King Solomon makes the following declaration: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13- 14.

Many churches are gradually joining the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the Deeper Christian Ministries, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), the Christian Gospel Church (The Truth Place), the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and several orthodox churches and other religious organisations which deliberately fix the period of Yuletide for Evangelistic purposes and attempt to win souls for the kingdom.