Falling in Love with Christmas all Over Again-Part 2–STAR-75

by | Dec 25, 2016 | Blog, Podcasts

KJV  Jeremiah 10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2 Thus 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.  3 For 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. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. 6 Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. (Jer 10:1-6 KJV)

This is Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections–Episode 75–Falling in Love with Christmas All Over Again–Part 2

Shalom

As I am drafting, recording and publishing this episode, we find ourselves at the 25th Day of the 9th Biblical Month which for many in our Hebrew Roots Community (and much of the Jewish world) is the first day of the 8-day celebration of Hanukkah. For the rest of the western world, today is also Christmas, the fulcrum of this episode.
“I hate, I despise your feast days and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your  meat offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take away from me the noise of your songs; for I will not hear the melody of your viols. But let judgment run down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream. Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Yisra’el? But ye have borne  the tabernacle of your Molek and Kiyun your images, the star of your elohiym, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, says Yahuah, whose name is The Elohiym Tseva’ot.” (Amos 5:21-27, Cepher)

Punishment for Syncretism

This did actually occur to the House of Yisra’el between the years 710-703 BCE. The question I have to ask is: what will be the punishment to our Hebrew Roots Community? I’ll reflect upon this in just a moment.
Amos was a shepherd from Judah who’s prophetic ministry was to the House of Israel. House of Israel’s syncretism had become extremely troubling to Father. So much so that He sent prophet after prophet to warn House of Israel of their pending doom if they did not turn from their wicked ways. The Bible has, in addition to revealing Father and His holy ways to us, been given to us to learn from the mistakes of those who’ve gone on before us. Yet generation after generation of people who have been exposed to the truth in one form or another, fail to heed the examples of those who have chosen to follow after hasatan and his ways.

Just Like Our Daddies and Mommies

This historical problem can’t be any more serious than for us in Hebrew Roots. We should have come out of the darkness of religion, into Abba’s marvelous light and remained there:
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light: Which in times past were not a people but are now the people of Yahuah: which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” (I Peter2:9,10; Cepher)
Allow me to continue with readings from the Word of Yahuah:
“Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devours the stubble and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the Torah of Yahuah Tseva’ot and despised the Word of the Holy One of Yisra’el. Therefore is the anger of Yahuah kindled against His people and He has stretched forth His hand against them and has smitten them: and the hills did tremble and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this His anger is not turned away but His hand is stretched out still.” (Isaiah 5:20-25, Cepher)
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we faint not, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the Word of Yahuah deceitfully, but by manifestation of the Truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of Yahuah. But if our Besorah be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the eloah of this world has bllinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Besorah of Hamashiach who is the image of Yahuah should shine unto them.” (II Corinthians 4:1-4, Cepher)

The Problem Restated

In episode 74 or the first part of this Thoughts and Reflections, I introduced the problem of members of our community that contend there is no true evidence linking Christmas to paganism. As a result, several influential members of our Faith community are advocating a return to Christmas keeping for those of us who once rejected the horror-day.

Examples of this are seen in David Jesse’s 9-part blog series on Christmas that was posted last year (http://davidsjesse.com/tag/christmas/) and Torah Babies (www.torahbabies.com).

Zachary Bauer Takes a Stand Against Christmas

As I mentioned in episode 74, I had not at all intended to reflect on the topic of Christmas. I believed our community was well versed in the dubious history and distinctions of Christmas. There was not reason to beat the drum on that topic again. At least, not until I came across Zachary Bauer’s YouTube debate and follow-up posts on the issue ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnTmOOgpYF8) and his post entitled: “See, I Told You So” ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTS3tUJAJrE)

Zachary Bauer confronts pro-Christmas Hebrew Rooters

Zachary Bauer takes a stand against Christmas in our Community.

In the first video, Zachary engaged a fellow who chose not to seen on the video and who chose to go only by his first name. In that debate, Zachary’s debate opponent kept hammering home the idea that there is no proof in the Bible on in secular history that Christmas is of pagan origin. Zachary’s opponent considers himself an apologist. In the second video, Zachary reported that members of our Hebrew Roots community have jumped on the “we can’t prove Christmas is pagan” bandwagon and are encouraging others to start keeping Christmas.

Falling in Love with Christmas all Over Again

Many contend there is no pagan roots to Christmas. Thus Hebrew Rooters are Falling in love with Christmas all over again.

What the Big Deal?

Look: from my perspective, I can care less if anyone, be they members of our community or not, keep Christmas. As far as I’m concerned, that’s their business. The issue is between them and Yahuah. Where I take issue is the efforts that these influential Hebrew Roots people have undertaken: to sway members of our community to abandon the fundamental position that Christmas is not something that Netsarim should be keeping. For obvious reasons.
Personally, I see these individuals’ actions as extremely dangerous and harmful to our community. Paul wrote:
“I pray you could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with a righteous jealousy: for I have espoused you to one man, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to HaMashiach. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Chuah (aka: Eve) through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in HaMashiach. For if he that comes preaches another Yahusha whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another ruach, which ye have not received, or another Besorah (gospel), which ye have not accepted, you might well bear with him. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty and not as of covetousness. But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” (II Corinthians 11:1-6, Cepher)

There are Problems When we Compromise on Christmas

I see several problems associated with this present trend in our community:
Not only are those that encourage a pro-Christmas agenda deceived, their rhetoric (i.e., there is no proof that Christmas is pagan) in and of itself has the great potential of deceiving. We all know that “hasatan deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9) through his lies and his mechanism well orchestrated assault on the truth (John 8:44).
Our community has been renown for resisting the natural tendency to compromise our Faith at all levels. Sadly, the present-day efforts to certify Christmas as a benign holiday for all to keep because there is no proof that paganism is linked to Christmas, has only opened the door to compromise in our community. Paul wrote to the Galatian assembly the following:
” I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Mashiach unto another Besorah: which is not another, but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Besorah of HaMashiach. But thought we or an angel from heaven, preach any other Besorah unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other Besorah unto you than that you have have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or Yahuah? (Compromise?) or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Mashiach. But I certify you, brethren, that the Besorah which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Yahusha HaMashiach.” (Galatians 1:6-12, Cepher)

 Compromise: The Bain of a Believer’s Existence

When we elect to compromise on Christmas, based upon a lame argument that there’s no proof that Christmas is of pagan origin, we violate the commandments of Yahweh. Mosheh admonished us as follows:
“Guard and hear all these words which I command you, thta it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do that which is good and right in the sight of Yahuah Elohayka. When Yahuah Elohayka shall cut off the nations from before you, whithere you go to possess them, and you succeed them, and dwell in their land: take heed to yourself that you be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before you. And that you inquire not after their elohiym, saying, “How did these nations serve their elohiym?” even so will I do likewise. You shall not do so unto Yahuah Elohayka for every abomination to Yahuah, which He hates, have they done unto their elohiym, for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their elohiym. What thing soever I command you, guard to do it. You shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” (Deuteronomy 12:28-32, Cepher)

Circumstantial Evidence Suggests a Pagan-Christmas Link

I would think anyone in our community that holds to a belief that Christmas and Easter is not of pagan origin, is extremely deceived. 19th Century Scottish Anthropologist Sir James George Frazer wrote of Christmas and other Christianized pagan holidays in his book “The Golden Bough” wrote:
“Taken altogether, the coincidences of the Christian (aka Catholic) feasts with the heathen festivals are too close and too numerous to be accidental. They mark the compromise which the church in the hour of its triumph was compelled to make with the vanquished yet still dangerous rivals. The inflexible Protestantism of the primitive missionaries, with the fiery denunciation of heathendom, had been exchanged for the supple policy, the easy tolerance, the comprehensive charity of shrewd ecclesiastics, who clearly perceived that if Christianity (again, Catholicism) was to conquer the world it could do so only by relaxing the too rigid principles of the Founder, by widening a little the narrow gate which leads to salvation.”
 The erroneous position that the pro-Christmas Hebrew Rooters are taking ignores even secular understandings of the pagan origins of Christmas. At the very least, it has been widely established that Christmas has ties to the Roman mid-winter festival Saturnalia, which was celebrated for centuries prior to Yeshua Messiah’s birth. (Fred Coulter, 2016) Ultimately, Saturnalia was “branded “Christian” by the Catholic Church in order to appease heathen converts who refused to give up their pagan ways. Over time the Christianized” festival, including December 25th, became associated with Yeshua’s birth.” (F. Coulter, 2016) Never mind the fact that the first century saints kept only the festivals commanded by Yahovah in Leviticus 23 as evidenced in various ancient writings by the so-called Church Fathers.
Furthermore, when we compromise on this issue because we choose to go with what men are saying as it relates to a lack of proof, are we not denying the Ruach’s testimony within each of us that declares the Christmas’ pagan ties. We deny the Ruach’s operation in our Faith Community by turning to human opinion, leading and understanding as opposed to the opinion, leading and discernment of Abba Father.

When We Compromise on Christmas We Trust Man Over the Creator on the Issue

Our trusting faith (a requirement to be a true Child of the Most High) is compromised. (“It is impossible to please Father without Faith”–Hebrews 11:6) Our Godly discernment is blunted. When this happens, we start to fall for everything. What’s next folks: keeping of halloween, easter, all saints day, lent, etc.? We simply become disobedient children that are now eligible for punishment just as our forefather’s experienced. We fail to imitate the example of our Older Brother and Mashiyach Yeshua.
When we compromise on this issue because we choose to go with what men are saying as it relates to a lack of proof, we empower the enemy and provide him the win that he needs to disrupt our work in the Kingdom. The enemy disrupts our unity and fellowships by inserting confusion and chaos. Our Father is a God of order and not chaos. This pro-Christmas agenda causes members of our community, especially the newbies in the Faith once delivered, to stumble.

Judgment May Come to Hebrew Roots

I fear judgment is coming to our Community is we continue down this road. It is only a matter of time before we, as a community, compromise in other areas of our Faith. If this trend continues on to the next area or issue and we compromise on that, and so-on and so-on, we will become like our cousins in churchianity. We don’t need that. For when Master returns, He will be looking for Faith, which even He questioned finding before He left us.
“I tell you that He will avenge them speedily (speaking of Father). Nevertheless when the Son of Adam comes, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8, Cepher)

 The Bottom Line on Christmas

My bottom line thoughts and reflections on this matter Saints is this: This controversy has the potential of spiritually, reputation-wise, and witness-wise of setting our Faith Community back for many years. It has the potential of dividing us even more so than we have been for decades. I can only hope, trust and pray that this does not happen. Surely, there is enough “circumstantial evidence” to conclude that Christmas is of pagan origin, regardless what some in our community erroneously contend.

Stand Firm on the Truth

For those of us who will uncompromisingly stand for Truth, let us stand; let us stand strong and unshaken. Paul counseled that after we’ve put on the full armor of our Elohim such that we may withstand the evil days that are upon us. After having done everything else within our power to combat evil and falsehoods and persecutions, that we simply “histayme”–stand! (Ephesians 6:13)

We’re In a Sifting Phase

We must not forget that principle that a Facebook friend wrote to me in the midst of me being told that my position on Christmas is baseless: “This whole thing is simply a “sifting process.” As hard as it is to recognize this simple principle, at the end of the day, she’s absolutely right. Whatever issue or position those who claim to be of our community try to get over on us, we must remain strong and histayme (stand) on the Truth. There may not be much that we can do beyond that apart from praying for those who have been misled and or are being misled by their rhetoric. In the end, those who do not stand resolute for the Truth and who fail to execute the faith that is necessary to please Abba (Hebrews 11:6) will be purged from among us:
KJV  Psalm 1:4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. (Psa 1:4 KJV)
Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Hos 13:3 Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections on the Issue of Christmas Keeping

Allow me to end this episode of Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections which to me is one of the most touching passages ever penned and recorded in the Holy Writ. It was Moshe’s parting admonishment to his successor Yahoshua as he ceremoniously passed the torch to him to lead us into the promised land:
 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.  8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.  9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Jos 1:6-9 KJV)
For those of you who observe and keep Hanukkah, have a blessed, safe and warm Hanukkah. For those of you who do not but simply are keeping the Faith once delivered to the first century Saints by Yahoshua HaMashiyach and His anointed Apostles, Shabbat Shalom; Shavuatov; and may you be most blessed fellow saints in training.
Faithfully submitted, your brother in the Truth Faith once delivered: I’m Rod Thomas

 

Offering Unblemished Animal Sacrifices – Idolatry and Paganism Warrants Capital Punishment – God’s Choice of King to Reign Over Us-Thoughts & Reflections on Torah Reading 139

by | Jul 5, 2024 | , | 0 Comments

This is the 139th Reading of our 3-year Torah Reading cycle that is found in Deuteronomy/Devarim 17:1-20. It is a continuation of Reading 138 (the previous week's reading). I've entitled this teaching: "Offering Unblemished Animal Sacrifices-Idolatry and Paganism...

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