A Christmas Consideration

This article started out as a brief posting of some Scriptural considerations for those that I know who are wrestling with the fact that Christmas was established by the state Church. As I sit and complete this, it is Christmas Eve. Many are being found willing to see that the holiday was strategically positioned, at its origin, to coincide with pagan festivals that were already ongoing. These individuals are beginning to ask some tough questions about the Christian traditions that most of us have inherited. Specifically, why Christmas was instated to give Christians their own holiday - one that was “State Church approved” when elite men took the liberty to do so. (Think Trunk or Treat, which has recently become an acceptable “substitute” for Halloween although it is no different, really.) Christmas, at its inception, was merely an act of influential men mixing together multiple idolatrous holidays and creating it to “celebrate Jesus’s birth.” Perhaps you too are willing to put this mainline holiday through some biblical testing.

Most records show that the Catholic church first instituted the “Mass of Christ” around 336. Few people in Christianity are willing to discuss how many Believers have rejected the holiday, even in recent history. Puritans outlawed the celebration of Christmas entirely, in 1659, on the grounds that Christmas, as a celebrated holy day, was never even mentioned in Scripture. Christmas was banned in the city of Boston from 1659 to 1681 and was deemed pagan by many Christians. In New England, Christmas did not become a legal holiday there until 1856. Most importantly, to me, is the fact that we have no record whatsoever of the Body of Messiah celebrating His birth for the three hundred years that followed His earthly life. Until when? When the “Apostolic Church” that hijacked the Seat of Moses (and believes that they thereby oversee the entire populace) stepped in and created it.

We know this via only a topical review of simple religious history. The doctrine of Catholic papal infallibility states, "when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, the Bishop of Rome defines the doctrine concerning faith and morals to be held by the whole Church.” This would come to include their proposal of Christmas.  In other words, if “the new Church” (post 300) tells you to celebrate this new holiday, you celebrate it. Otherwise, you will be persecuted. Just like the non-believing Pharisees that Yeshua corrected, the Catholic church established a law code that exalts man-made leadership to a status higher than that of Moses and the Torah given to and through him. This has been so incredibly successful that it literally permeates all of the Christian denominations alike. It has worked so well, even agnostics and non-Believers line up alongside Christians to celebrate this fabricated holy day. It is, by very nature, defined as a unified holiday of the idolatrous nations. All of mankind unites under the banner of Christ-Mass, just as the Catholic church intended.

As is always the case with traditions, although the change was gradual, people slowly began to embrace the tradition that is Christmas until, as we see today, you are odd if you do not celebrate it. The pressure of culture and the power of the religious system won out. Few people today turn to the Bible alone to deem what is acceptable and right in Yahweh’s sight. Predominant tradition rules and generation after generation go in the ways and traditions of their fathers, with no questions asked. In fact, we are so far removed from what the ancient People of Yahweh celebrated, abstaining from Christmas celebration today will get you called anti-Christian.

Before I share a few of Scriptures that should cause great concern for a true Believer, I’d like to add something that I recently shared in the “Pharisaical Christmas” video series. The birth of Yeshua was never instructed to be observed as a set apart day in the entire Bible. Never. Not once. Not by Yahweh. Not by Yeshua Himself. Not foretold by the Prophets. Not observed nor taught by the Apostles, on the other side of Messiah’s coming. No one in the Bible speaks of it. Ever. However, the Feasts of Yahweh, that were instituted, endorsed, and celebrated *by all of the above,* are deemed “not for Christians today.” Despite Their being the defining events that had always marked Yahweh’s People, we (in Christianity) have been given new holidays now, a literal edict from the Catholic church. The Israelites, the prophets, the Disciples, the Apostles and even the Messiah Himself all celebrated Yahweh’s Appointed Times. Yet, we now have a new set of holidays. Whether you like it or not, if you celebrate Christmas today, you do it because the Catholic Church told you to.

If Christians today studied as the Bereans of Paul’s day did, as they “eagerly welcomed [Paul’s] message, searching the Scriptures (OT/Tanakh) every day to see if the things Paul was saying were true” (Acts 17), Christmas, as a celebrated holy day for Yahweh’s People to memorialize, would simply not exist. It would be easily exposed as an adopted, pagan practice of the nations and would thereby be classified idolatrous and prohibited entirely. The Bereans would have surely known, from studying the Scriptures, that one cannot take something worldly/profane and make it holy. Yahweh always commanded His People to incinerate (often literally) the idolatrous ways of the nations and never adopt them as Their own.

The centerpiece tree, the gift-giving, the mistletoe, the garlands, St. Nicholas, the colors themselves – all of these have deep meanings that are firmly rooted in idolatry of the nations. Few attempt to argue this point, and to most, it just does not matter. “That’s not what it means to me” is the common, casual response of justification. However, this is not about the specifics today. (We’ve covered that many times before, over the years.) The heart of the issue is what must rise to the surface - what we see in Christmas is celebratory idolatry that has been inherited from idolatrous nations and deemed acceptable by Believers and non-Believers alike, via the State Church’s demands so many years ago.

So, below are just a very small sampling of the many Scriptures addressing the dangers of idolatry. Again, an idol is something that we love. Something that has become of great value, that one cannot see themselves living without. So please consider your ways well, friends. This is of utmost importance for anyone who takes their spiritual condition seriously and truly desires to be found pleasing to Yahweh with every facet of their life. My motivation is a desire to be a watchman on the wall that continues to cry out about this, as I have for the last nine years now. Being willing to walk away from man-made holidays and traditions years ago led us to finding our celebratory identity in Father’s Appointed Times. Now I want to do my small part to call the Body of Messiah to awaken from Their slumber, for the good of the entire Body as a whole, so that They too might be given eyes to see and be set free!

We must lay aside all that exalts itself over Father’s Ways and become prepared to be presented as a pure and undefiled Bride to our Bridegroom. Freedom is on the other side! Please take the time to read and consider the following Scriptural texts, as you consider what traditions you join yourself with – during this season and always. - J

Exodus 34:11-14 Obey what I am commanding you today. Behold, I am going to drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites before you. Watch yourself, and make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, or they will become a snare among you. Instead, you must break down their altars, smash their pillars and cut down their Asherah poles. For you are to bow down to no other god, because Yahweh is jealous for His Name - He is a jealous Elohim.

Deuteronomy 7:4-6 For [the son of the idolatrous nations] will turn your son away from following Me (Yahweh) to serve other elohim (gods). Then the anger of Yahweh will be kindled against you, and He will swiftly destroy you. Instead, you are to deal with them like this: tear down their altars, smash their pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their carved images with fire.  For you are a holy people to Yahweh your Elohim - from all the peoples on the face of the earth, Yahweh your Elohim has chosen you to be His treasured People.

Deuteronomy 12:2&3 You must utterly destroy all the places where the nations that you will dispossess served their elohim - on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. You are to tear down their altars, smash their pillars, burn their Asherah poles in the fire and cut down the carved images of their Elohim (gods), and you are to obliterate their name from that place.

Galatians 4:8&9 But at that time, when you did not know Elohim, you served those who by nature are not gods at all. But now you have come to know Elohim - or rather you have come to be known by Elohim. So how can you turn back again to those weak and worthless principles? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

Micah 5:9-14 Now in that day - it is a declaration of Yahweh - “… I will cut off your carved images and your sacred pillars from among you, so you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands. I will uproot your Asherah poles from among you and destroy your cities. So I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not listened.

1 John 5:18-21 We know that anyone born of Elohim does not keep on sinning; rather, the One born of Elohim keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot touch him. We know that we are of Elohim, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of Elohim has come and given us insight, so that we may know Him who is true - and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Yeshua the Messiah. This One is the true Elohim and eternal life. Children, guard yourselves from idols.

1 Corinthians 10:14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee (escape from) from idolatry.

Psalm 135:15-18 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them - so will all who keep trusting in them.

Isaiah 44:18&19 They [who create their own idols] do not know or understand! For He smeared over their eyes, so they cannot see, and their hearts, so they cannot understand. This man does not reflect in his heart, with no knowledge or discernment.

Deuteronomy 7:25&26 The carved images of their Elohim (gods) you are to burn with fire. You are not to covet the silver or gold on them or take it for yourself - or you could be snared by it, for it is an abomination to Yahweh your Elohim. You are not to bring an abomination into your house - for you, like it, will be a banned thing. You must utterly detest and utterly abhor it, for it is set apart for destruction.

Acts 17:16 Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was full of idols.

Exodus 20:3-6 I am Yahweh your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other Elohim (gods) before Me. Do not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or on the earth below or in the water under the earth. Do not bow down to them, do not let anyone make you serve them. For I, Yahweh your Elohim, am a jealous Elohim, bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to the thousands of generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.