The Reason not to be of The Season

Many years ago I became interested in learning about our family traditions, from whence they originated and why we celebrate these assorted holidays.  One major holiday is Christmas and that is where I began. The results I share in this study are from Scriptures and information gleaned from other research on this same topic by many others. Don't take my word for it always study it out for yourselves.

"Christ" is not the reason for the season.

Jesus Christ is not his name.  He had Hebrew parents who gave him a Hebrew name: Yah-shua (Y'shua).  He was born about 6 months after his cousin, John. This is an historically correct fact.

In the story leading up to Y'shua's inception, his mother-to-be, Mary, came to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with John. It is through this account, found in Luke, chapter 1, that we are able to more closely fix the date of the birth of Messiah.

Luke indicates that Elizabeth’s husband was Zechariah and a priest of the course of Abia. While on duty, as a priest, he was visited by an angel and informed his wife was to have a son to be named John. After his obligations to the ministry ended, he departed to his house. He and Elizabeth conceived a child.

During Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, the angel Gabriel visited Mary and informed her she was going to have a son. Mary goes to visit her cousin, and stayed with her about three months.

In order to fix the time of conception, one must look to the time of Zachariah's ministry. At that time, the priests were divided into 24 classes and it is known that each class officiated at the Temple in turn for a week. If it is known when the course of Abia was when Zachariah  officiated, one can trace the times of the succession of courses backward or forward. I trust the research of those who traced this time line and were able to calculate the beginning of Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy began in the fourth week of December, when Mary came to visit.

Using Zachariah’s ministry, Elizabeth’s pregnancy term and Mary’s visit at the start of her sixth month, this shows the conception of Y'shua in the first part of the last week of December and His birth occurring on or around September 29, 2 BC - not December 25.

🚧__🚧__🚧 

 

There is a common defense put forth by folks who celebrate x-mas when it has been pointed out that Y'shua was not born on Dec. 25th... they say 'any time is a good time to honor christ...' Our Father in Heaven clearly points out not to have any thing to do with idols or heathen traditions like cutting down a tree and putting it up in your home, decorating it and bowing down before it (the act of placing gifts beneath the tree).  These things do not honor our Creator.  We must not celebrate christmas. It has nothing to do with Yahweh the Father, Yahshua the Son but falls under the heading of Abominations.

IF you really want to honor Yahweh, then do as He says, not what man says. Give up man made traditions and Y'shua will fill those spaces with His Set Apart Spirit.

Yahweh is not slow in keeping his promise,
as some understand slowness.
He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish,
 but everyone to come to repentance. [2 Peter 3:9]

Here are assorted links that delve into the origins of other man made traditions as well as days our Father set as holy. I pray you find time to check them out, do a little searching on your own and you will find the truth really will set you free. You'll be free of worries, anxiety, insecurity, and loneliness just to name a few!

I try to maintain link lists, but if you come across one that no longer works, I'd appreciate it if you would let me know so that I may remove it.

Easter

Palm Sunday

Passover 

Exodus

1599 Geneva Bible (the one before King James)

Holidays

One Stop Scripture Spot

Genesis

Traditions of Man - Halloween

Halloween: 
History and Customs

Samhain: 

The origin of Halloween can be traced to this “ancient pagan festival celebrated by Celtic people over 2,000 years ago. The Celts believed that the dead could walk among the living at this time- the living could visit with the dead.” (The World Book Encyclopedia)-Scripture clearly teaches that the dead “are conscious of nothing at all.” (Refer to my study Rest in Peace)

Costumes, candy, and trick or treat: 

According to the book Halloween—An American Holiday, An American History, some of the Celts wore ghoulish costumes so that wandering spirits would mistake them for one of their own and leave them alone. Others offered sweets to the spirits to appease them. In medieval Europe, the Catholic clergy adopted local pagan customs and had their adherents go from house to house wearing costumes and requesting small gifts. The Bible, on the other hand, does not permit merging false religious practices with the worship of God.   

2 Corinthians 6:16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living Elohim. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people." Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says YHWH. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, and zombies:

These have long been associated with the evil spirit world. (Halloween Trivia) The Bible clearly states that we should oppose wicked spirit forces, not celebrate with them. 

Ephesians 6:11 - Put on the full armor of Elohim so that you can make your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of Elohim so that when evil comes you will be able to stand your ground, having done everything, to stand...

Pumpkins, or jack-o’-lanterns: 

In medieval Britain, “supplicants moved from door to door asking for food in return for a prayer for the dead,” and they would carry “hollowed-out turnip lanterns, whose candle connoted a soul trapped in purgatory.” (Halloween—From Pagan Ritual to Party Night) Others say that the lanterns were used to ward off evil spirits. During the 1800’s in North America, pumpkins replaced turnips because they were plentiful as well as easy to hollow out and carve. The beliefs behind this custom—the immortality of the soul, purgatory, and prayers for the dead—are not based on the Bible. 

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine; the soul that sins, it shall die.

Stop teaching these traditions to your children.

Tradition

YHWH has told us to remember and observe His Set Apart times for us: 

Passover/Unleavened Bread, Feast of the Harvest/Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost), Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles (Leviticus 23). 

These are not 'Jewish Holidays' as there were no such people back in that day -- His People were Hebrews and the mixed multitude that came with them out of Egypt. Jewish Holidays are the man made traditions of celebrating Hanukkah and Purim for example. 

Quoted from Judaism 101: 

Chanukkah is probably one of the best known Jewish holidays, not because of any great religious significance, but because of its proximity to Christmas. Many non-Jews (and even many assimilated Jews!) think of this holiday as the Jewish Christmas, adopting many of the Christmas customs, such as elaborate gift-giving and decoration. It is bitterly ironic that this holiday, which has its roots in a revolution against assimilation and the suppression of Jewish religion, has become the most assimilated, secular holiday on our calendar. (end quote). 

The Chanukkah tradition, as recorded in the Talmud: at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle of the oil.

(note: the Talmud is a collection of oral tradition of Torah interpretation according to Rabbinic Judaism.)

Our Creator was never about religions. His perfect governing system was for our health and well being, fair and just. Remembering important events is not the issue - it's the celebrations of them year after year as holidays that goes against what God said especially when His appointments for us are ignored by most.

Are You are Believer in the Word

Warning:

If you don't want to stop lying to your children (and deceiving yourself) and still want to 'believe' in and partake of christmas (and other pagan holidays), then don't read any more of this post.

When my husband and I learned that 'Jesus' wasn't born in December, let alone on the 25th of the month, we both agreed to stop partaking of this man made holiday.  We came across this historical info as a result of my asking questions and searching for answers about the origins of the holidays we 'Christians' celebrate. We have been taught these traditions by our parents who were taught by their parents, and their parents, etc... There's a line from scripture that says we have inherited the 'lies of our fathers' and I think this includes the holidays we celebrate. Even if you know that Y'Shua our Messiah was not born in December yet still participate in the acts of these holidays, using vain excuses, you are rebelling against Yahweh and practicing paganism. That makes Satan very happy as paganism is the groundwork for his various false religions that separate us from the One True Living Elohim. Scripture also tells us not to learn the way of the Gentiles (heathen/pagan). 

Jeremiah 10:1-4 - Hear the word which Yahweh speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says Yahweh: "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.  For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.  They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple.

Of course, as children, we had no idea we were being taught a lie, participating in actions that were against the Word of Yahweh, the One True Elohin. We didn't even know that "God" had a Name!

The following is a quote from the 2000 Encyclopædia

"During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a 'solar monotheism.' Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of Solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol and Victus (open unconquered Sun) on December 25th was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ."

quote continued: 

Notice how it says "both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities?" Pardon me, but do any alarm bells go off here? The Christians were apparently trying to get more converts so they tried to make the Messiah more like the idols found in sun worship---all under the guise of making him more attractive to pagans. They even brought various elements of the December 25th "feast of the unconquered sun" into their worship by saying that December 25th was actually the Messiah's birthday, which was simply not true. This is the origin of Christmas and this is why we have various pagan-rooted traditions accompanying this holiday.Do we imitate the world to bring the world to the Messiah? Absolutely not. You don't win the world by imitating the world; you win the world by imitating Yahshua the Messiah!It seems to me that true believers should be teaching the unbelievers the true way of Yahweh rather than the unbelievers teaching believers these pagan customs and practices. But these Christians not only learned these heathen ways, they also incorporated them into their worship.
When Paul was writing to the Ephesians, a group of believers who were surrounded by idol worship, he said:Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.So we shouldn't be trying to copy idolatrous feasts. Rather, we should be exposing them for the fraud and lie that they are. Creating a new lie by saying the the Messiah was born on Dec. 25th, the birthday of various sun gods, is preposterous. One of the last things our Savior would ever want is to "acquire the traits of solar deities."  end quote

And here's another quote:

Part 6:

“At the Council of Arles in 314 AD, Constantine retained his own divine status by introducing the omnipotent "God of the Christians" as his personal sponsor. He then dealt with the anomalies of doctrine by replacing certain aspects of Christian ritual with the familiar pagan traditions of sun worship, together with other teachings of Syrian and Persian origin. In short, the new religion of the Roman church was constructed as a ‘hybrid’ to appease all influential factions. By this means, Constantine looked towards a common and unified ‘world’ religion - catholic meaning universal - with himself at its head.” 

It was the adoption of these pagan practices of tree worship, sun worship with the observance of the Saturnalia festival on December 25, and other pagan rituals involving holly, yule logs and mistletoe that coalesced over the centuries into the traditions most Christians associate with Christ’s birth today.

Would it be right to take a Satanic holiday that Satanists have invented and then incorporate that holiday along with its customs into the worship of Yahweh? Surely not. We need to realize that all paganism is Satanism. Satan is the one behind all pagan worship. And whatever god the idolaters worship, they are actually worshiping Satan. (end quote)

It is Satan's goal to turn us completely away from the truth, as he is the father of lies and prince of deception. He desires to be worshiped as god, that is why there are so many 'religions' to choose from! Satan is subtle, charming, tells us what we want to hear, and tempts us in so many ways! He makes it real easy to ignore Yahweh's instruction manual. 

We have been 'brainwashed' from childhood to celebrate holidays that have nothing to do with what our Elohim asks of us.  

It’s no coincidence that the two most important Christian holidays were  once two of the most disgusting pagan celebrations, devoted to the blatant exhibition of adultery, gluttony, blasphemy and child sacrifice, behavior specifically forbidden by God. It was an attack on the sanctity of these two events that Christians resisted for over 400 years, but have now accepted to a point where to question them invites ridicule.

So, after finding out that Satan is behind the traditional holidays, how can you continue to partake in the celebrations? Please, come out of Babylon.

References:

Saturnalia

Trees, Wreaths, Ornaments... oh Yeah 

What about Christmas?

Commercialism

Hard Habit To Break

Man Made Traditions

Every year I cringe when traditional holidays approach as they are most certainly not of our Creator.  Satan is the father of lies, the king of deception.  He wants to be worshipped as if he were a god, the god.  So it makes sense that he would devise alternative holy days to counterfeit Elohim's appointed times. Satan's holidays are pagan rituals which are not pleasing to YHWH and He has asked us to "come out" of Babylon (paganism), to leave these traditions behind. 

Below is a list of links for further research and study,  so that you may find this out for yourself, as I did, and leave them behind, never looking back or 'longing' for things of Satan.

It is not easy breaking these habits we were raised with, but it is possible with the help of Y'shua and with the support of like minded believers, friends and family.  Once we leave pagan traditions behind we will open up to keeping the Feasts of YHWH - another learning curve!

Please click on these links to learn of the lies we have inherited-

• Origins of Easter
• Lent
• Christmas - one way to look at it...
• Queen of Heaven
• Days and Months, even...

That time of Year Again

More and more people are aware that "Jesus" was not born in December yet they continue to party as if he were. They use excuses like "It doesn't matter, as long as we recognize Him." But it most certainly does matter, especially if Yahweh tells us not to have anything to do with paganism.

Our Father's Commands over-ride man-made traditions each and every time, including this man made holiday in December called christmas. I know it is hard to break the traditions of celebrating x-mas after having it taught to us year after year after year. It's like being brainwashed into accepting this behavior and who doesn't like accepting gifts? and eating and drinking? and decorating your house in twinkling lights? I know I did! But I don't anymore and you, too, can come out of paganism, all the way out, and be a better person for it by pleasing Yahweh our Creator.

Christians have been conditioned to accept that Christmas and Easter are essentially part of Scriptures. The fact is that both have their roots in the Mystery cults: Saturnalia, the worship of the Mother-goddess system and the worship of the Sun god. They are in direct contradiction to the Instructions given us by our Creator.

I don't recall when I started to question the origins of christmas and easter and other holidays.  For some reason I started to wonder where this santa claus came from; the easter bunny; coloring eggs; 3 wise men, cave, stable- who made these things up?  The more answers I found, the deeper I dug. And you know what I discovered? This is all part of that walk you take after being born anew with spiritual awareness. It is a never ending lesson broke into manageable pieces that we are able to put together as part of the learning process.  You can be born again and sit there stagnating OR be born anew and keep on truckin' down that path of righteousness!

Once you start asking questions you can't be afraid of discovering the answer- otherwise you might as well keep your blinders on and continue to partake in pagan festivities. Which part of the bible are we going to believe? We can't pick and choose which parts of Yahweh we want. His Word is the whole word, nothing more or nothing less. Scriptures, the best reading material in the world, from the beginning to the end and back around again, is Yah's Instruction Manual for our governance, health and well being.

Satan's life long  passion is to be as a god and have all of us worship him. He will do anything to turn us from salvation so we can spend eternity in 'fire lake' with him. Satan, that old devil, is responsible for false religions, fake preachers and translations of the bible that take us further from the Word. He is a smooth talker,  known as the Father of Lies, constantly trying to snare us by throwing temptations our way.

Satan taught Genun, son of Lamech, to 'bring strong drink out of corn', then came the drink-houses so they could all sit around and get drunk.  Satan also shared his musical abilities with Genun who made instruments: trumpets, cymbals, psalteries, lyres, harps and flutes.  Now they can sit around, get drunk and rock out! Not too different from today's bar scene. He played them often, and when he played on them, Satan came into them so the sweetest music was heard that ravished the heart.

"Then he gathered companies upon companies to play on them (the instruments) and when they played, it pleased well the children of Cain, whom inflamed themselves with sin among themselves and burnt as with fire, while Satan inflamed their hearts, one with another, and increased lust among them."  

(Wait A Minute! this is about christmas, not sex drugs and rock-n-roll... how I ramble!)

There must have been a point I was trying to make there- alcohol mixed with sweet music is doubly intoxicating and tempting and a stumbling block -from the beginning, Satan has been trying to cheat us out of our inheritance. This includes alternate religions, to split and divide the faithful. Pagan rituals were adopted by the Roman Catholic Church to make it more attractive to the various heathen cults, in order to bring more people into the church. This sham included adopting bits and pieces of pagan religions and calling them 'holy'. That is another abomination that brings no honor to our Father. 

Would you partake in a church if its rituals included the sacrifice of live babies, children thrown into the fire? Of course not! But what if bits and pieces of that ritual were included in your church? What if they disguised the original actions with something less atrocious. The actions were changed but the idea is still there and it's idolatry- having other gods before Him.  We, the people of today, may not remember what these things mean, but Yahweh has not forgotten.

Pagan celebrations that pre-existed Christmas and Easter are condemned in the Bible. We can start with the simple prohibition against idolatry (Gal 5:20). From this we can move to drunkenness which is also condemned (Gal 5:21). All sexual immorality is condemned (Gal 5:19). Child abuse and sacrifices are condemned (Deu 18:10). Gift giving associated with pagan worship of idols and celebration of pagan holidays is condemned (Ezek 20:39). Setting up a Baalmas tree is condemned (Jer 10:1-5). Therefore, anyone who reads and studies the Bible will see that it condemns Christmas in every form and fashion.

I will never get tired of warning people about our holidays. The truth will set us free. Our Creator gave us eyes to see and ears to hear, it's up to us to use them!  It becomes more of an issue with each passing year, because, as you know, the end is near...  it's nearer today than it was yesterday... one day you will find you have no more time, the door is closed and locked.

He gives every one of us a chance all the way up to the very last day, to see it His way. The only other way is Satan's. By taking the time now to unlearn man's traditions and learn our Father's way, it will be easier to meet Him on Judgment Day, less complicating now that you've got the holidays figured out as Satan's counterfeits. Get out of Satan's grasp! Continue to read Scriptures and allow the Spirit to help you stand against the traps Satan has been setting for us since day one.

Here are some more links that I have in my arsenal that you may find useful. I share these for further research and study purposes:

Where xmas trees come from

Origins of christmas

More about symbols

HOLLY, click this link then scroll down

I try to keep all things updated, but if you run across a link that is no longer active, drop me a line so I can delete it, or let me know some of your favorite sites that I can include, thanks!

Walid Shoebat's view on our Sister Holiday

 (begin quote)

As a “right wing Jewish extremist” as many of my fellow Jews might describe me, so as to isolate me from the “lamestream” I have a question as to why Jewish Liberals find the celebration of Chanukah as the most important of all Jewish festivals to actively and proudly celebrate in America.  Passover, Tabernacles and Pentecost are more important but most reform synagogues are closed, go figure!

Chanukah is not a Biblical festival, not commanded to be celebrated by G-d but what it is a celebration on par with the July 4th celebration commemorating freedom from persecution and independence of Israel. The Macabbees who lead the revolt against the Hellenist Greeks were right wing extremist zealots like me, who believed in a free undivided land of Israel, not a solution that might bring “peace.” Liberal Jews like the Hellenists support abortion “pro choice,” a pc word for murder, homosexuality, euthanasia and a shared land of Israel the size of Delaware instead of New Jersey, while the Maccabees would frown at such affronts to G-d’s natural laws and promises.

It is hard to believe that liberal Jews could embrace such a festival or concept called Chanukah based on the historic and miraculous reason it is celebrated.

I as a supporter of the Maccabee cause wish to free Israel, all Israel, of the affront of Islamic domination. Today I am called an extremist and hatemonger.  If I lived 2500 years ago I would be a hero and commemorated by liberals later (today) as such, yet today based on the same issues repeated in front of our eyes, to a liberal I would be a “hatemonger” promoting “hate speech.”

The real reason liberal Jews celebrate Chanukah is because it is close to the festival of Christmas and multicultural competition.  The date of Dec 25th is based on a pagan holiday. I do not say this to disparage Christians but based on historical fact that December the 25th was a pagan holiday during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine who used the pagan date to change it to a Christian holiday. All Biblical historians know that Jesus could not have been born at this time based on the season described in the Bible. No one knows the date but it was some time from the end of August till October. Easter itself is named after a pagan deity Estor because it happened to fall at the same time as the crucifixion of Jesus and Constantine used this to turn pagans to Christianity but removed the Jewish essence that is inherent to the faith but now pretty much separated or forgotten.

Secularism, traditions of man turning them to religion, and multi-culturism have infected and diluted the truth concerning how G-d wished us to conduct ourselves based on the text of the Bible. Orthodox Jews, Reform Jews and Christians have all twisted the word of G-d with false traditions and made them gospel truth.    The Bible is the word of G-d not the Talmud or Mishna, the traditions of Constantine and the destruction by Christians of the Hebrew roots of their faith is also an affront. Both Jews and Christians need to take a good look at them-selves in the mirror before they critique each other.

As for our Muslim cousins, they just remained pagan and deceived themselves that G-d is Allah when he is plain and simply Satan. Here come the Fatwas!

The prophets of Israel give us a clear literal picture of the end of days and they explain the exact things that are playing out in front of our eyes.    Yet Jewish, Christian scholars and leaders from both introduce allegory and wishful notions of fantasy to explain everything but the truth. The false prophets, weak leaders and evil ones also are clearly pointed out in the prophecies.  To the truth seekers - read and study the prophets of Israel, for the Day of the Lord is not far off.

(end quote)

Traditions of Men - Hard habits to break

I think one of the hardest things for any professing Christian is to give up the traditional holiday festivities. 

We are raised believing in Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Ghosts and Goblins, sunrise service and other distractions put in our way by Satan. We don't know any better because that's what mom and dad have done and their folks and their folks before them. Innocently enough, little white lies and fairy tales have kept us off His Path.

That's how it was for me until I started asking questions, and I only started asking those questions a handful of years ago. What, why, who and when.... 

None of it will make sense unless you are pointed in the direction of life on a straight path that leads to a narrow gate. It ain't easy but we do it out of love and gratitude for our heavenly Father and His Son. We must choose to participate in His plan else we get nothing out of it. 

I think the main reason we look forward to the holidays is because they are so festive with all the lights and colors and good food and drink. Families get together, make time for one another and no doubt there is love there, too, but it's all performed beneath the pagan decorations of another lifetime. To YHWH it has the outward appearance of pagan worship. It smacks of Babylonian ways which He warned us to stay away from more than once. 

Some facts are: 

• Yahshua was not born on December 25
• Easter is a fertility ritual (rabbit/egg)
• Origins of Halloween

There is plenty available for historical research about the origins of what we think are American, Christian holidays. We have been lead astray and by that I mean Satan has taken us by the hand and walked us in the opposite direction from which YHWH desires us to go. It would be wise to choose to remain on that straight path that leads to the narrow gate. That means turning our backs on these pagan festivals. We do so with the help of His son, Y'shua, because with out him, we are fair game for the Adversary- Satan.

This is just one of many steps in the spiritual journey that returns us to the King of the Universe, YHWH, our Creator.