MFM clarifies position on Christmas, Jesus’ birthday

General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr. Daniel Olukoya, yesterday clarified the ministry’s position on the celebration of Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25th. He made the Church’s position known during its weekly Manna Water service on Wednesday, December 25, 2019, while reacting to the various comments that have been trailing his message on Christmas and the birth of the Saviour.

“Although the foundation of Christmas is idolatry and God hates idolatry with perfect hatred, we will not throw away the baby and the birth water. We do not condemn those who celebrate.“Jesus is born in us at MFM everyday. His death is our birth certificate. We will bring out the positive out of the negatives by using all holidays for prayers, conferences, seminars and activities.

“We will hold seminars, conventions, camp meetings or special teaching services to pray, examine the scriptures and draw positives from the wrong, negative and idolatry practices of the two events: Easter and Christmas.“We will hold special meetings to re-teach, reemphasise and reappraise the significance of Jesus’ birth, death, cross and resurrection.

On the December and the Shepherds, he said it was strange but true, adding:
“Remember those shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night? (Luke 2:8). ”“December weather around Bethlehem is often miserably cold, wet and rainy. No shepherd in his right mind would have kept his flocks outside at night at that time of the year!

“The passage argues against the December 25th birth of Jesus Christ since the weather would not have permitted shepherds to be out in the fields with their flocks then,” he said.Olukoya explained that Luke 2:1-4 also “tells us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem because his parents came to that town to register in a Roman census. The Romans were well known as highly efficient administrators.

“It would have made no sense to have conducted a census during winter, when temperatures often dropped below freezing and traveling was difficult due to poor road conditions.

“Taking a census under such conditions would have been pointless.The Bible nowhere tells us to observe a holiday celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth- but it clearly told us to have ‘communion’ in remembrance of Him.