christmas

Earlier this month I wrote a blog entitled "engine troubles and christmas studies". This is just a continuation of that blog.

let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.-2 Timothy 2:19

If we are to follow Christ, who taught us to "honor the Heavenly Father by worshiping Him in spirit and in truth", then we will honor the days that the Father commanded us to observe. He has a number of Holy Days throughout the year that he asks us to observe, all of which on a deeper level reveal to us his plan in the earth done through His only begotten Son....when we observe the days that the Heavenly Father asked us to celebrate, which are written in his scriptures, then we are doing so in honor of Him.

Sadly the Roman Catholic Church has taken many celebrations of the pagans and placed a Christian label on them, causing many in the world to follow their example. Christmas is just one of those days, its origins predate Christ and are solely idolatrous. The scriptures show Christ disciples as honoring the Holy Days that the Heavenly Father set up throughout the scriptures (the sabbath day, passover, pentecost, tabernacles, etc.) nothing more.

Examine what the Apostle Peter instructs to the Church in his letter...

1 Peter 4:1-5

1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

3For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

4Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

5Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.


Peter is speaking to a congregation that was made up Gentiles who (before repenting and turning to God through Christ) were themselves partakers of revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries. The practices that were in honor to the gods that they used to worship. Think about this for a moment. Here is the admonishment from Peter for them to " arm themselves with the same mind as Christ" by "suffering in the flesh/dieing to the flesh, and ceasing from sin." and recounts to them how not to long ago they were part of pagan idolatrous feasts....yet a few centuries later the Roman Catholic Church took a few pagan feasts, Saturnalia, Sol Invictus, and the Honoring of the Birth of the Sun god Mithras and said simply, you can do these same celebrations but do it in the name of Christ instead.

Consider verse 2 up above as well, how Peter admonishes us to not live according to the flesh to the lusts of men but rather to the will of God. The lusts of men would be how we feel, and what we think, and what we want to do, but if what we think and what we want to do are not in line with God's commands then we are in sin....



look at what the Apostle Paul wrote.

1 Corinthians 10:20-23

20But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

21Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

22Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

23All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.


again the observance and celebration of Christmas predates Christ and is not mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, it was established by men. pay close attention to what Christ speaks in regards to men and their traditions.

mark 7:7-8;9
7Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men...

9Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition


What are some of God's commands that we reject when we keep the traditions of Christmas?

Jeremiah 10:2

2Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen...

we are not to learn the ways of nations,remember "the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils." and also "For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens."-Psalms 96:5)

In the same scripture where the Heavenly Father speaks through Jeremiah up above it speaks about one of the practices done during Christmas...

Jeremiah 10:1-5

1Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

2Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

3For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

4They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

5They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must be carried, because they cannot move. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

the tree was worshiped, and adorned with decorations. The Heavenly Father said that this idol had the power neither to "do good or to do evil", it simply could do nothing because it was "vain"

Now today some may see this correlation with the ancient worship of trees to todays christmas tree, and think of todays observances as harmless. I ask that you please consider these scriptures.


In Deuteronomy 7:25-26

The Heavenly Father commands his people regarding taking possession of the Holy Land, how the nations of those lands worshipped idols, which were an abomination (hateful thing) to him.

25The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therin: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.

26Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.

in verse 25, he warns them not to be snared or trapped by the idol, and he warns also to not bring the idol into their home so that they will not become a hateful thing like unto it.

we see clearly that the origin of the christmas tree is that of an idol, and we put these idols into our home.

2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.-Romans 10:2-3

although Paul is speaking about some of the children of Israel's rejection of God's righteousness given through His only begotten Son, the heart of the scripture above speaks to all of us.

When we deny God's righteousness and establish our own then we take ourselves off the "straight and narrow gate leading to life" that Christ teaches us about.

That is a dangerous place, because at that point, its no longer about God's desire for us, but our desire for ourselves.... we are blinded by the waywardness of our hearts and led away from God.

We have to submit to God's righteousness, never our own, we must search the scriptures to see what he desires of us and do that only. He said simply, "turn away from sin, have faith in my Son whom I have sent, and obey my commandments"...(Proverbs 28:13,Deuteronomy 18:18-19/Matthew 17:5/Exodus 20:6)

the beautiful thing about observing the Holy Days that the Heavenly Father commanded us to keep in the scriptures is that they all Honor His Son...we don't need to take the Roman Catholic Church's Christ-labeled pagan celebrations and honor them to reverence and remember our Master...the Heavenly Father already has it there for us in the scriptures....Passover remembering the freedom from bondage to egypt...remembering the freedom from bondage to sin...our Master is the ultimate sacrifice and redeemer the true passover lamb......Pentecost...we remember the covenant given at Mt. Sinai and confirmed again through the coming of Christ, and his spirit given to those who follow him writing the law in our Hearts....The Day of Atonement...again remembering the atoning sacrifice of Christ...Tabernacles remembering the wandering in the wilderness and the protection and covering there which was Christ (1 Corinthians 10) ...He is our protection and covering as we wander now...the list goes on and on..in all of the other biblical feasts....and to top it off we will be keeping these very same celebrations in the world to come. (Isaiah 66:23) Pretty Awesome stuff.



shalom to whomever reads this..