Top 10 Reasons Why We Shouldn't Celebrate Christmas

drstevej said:

Just wanted you folks to know I celebrated Jesus' birth today too.
It was festive.

Click to expand...

baby Jesus

Click to expand...

fritz300 said:

Absolutely!

Act 15:19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,
Act 15:20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.
Act 15:21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."
​

These are some excellent versus to understand when talking about a Gentile believer coming to Christ and into the faith of the Mighty One of Israel. Clearly from the context we know that at this council meeting they've been debating what is necessary for a Gentile and what isn't as they receive the Messiah in their lives and begin the transformation of their lifestyles.

Anyone who has ever witnessed before knows that it is important not to overwhelm someone with information that would make it seem difficult to come into relationship with God, and clearly they were addressing this issue just as v19 says that 'we should not trouble those who are turning to God'


We see in v20 that they decided that the Gentiles must abstain from things:

• Polluted by idols
• Sexual Immorality
• Strangled Things
• Issues of Blood

This would give the Gentiles a simple set of commands and things that they should attempt to do to begin to walk and live a righteous lifestyle before the Lord.

We also know that these broad issues are more defined in detail in the Torah. How do we know what sexual immorality is? How do we know if something is polluted by idols? How do we know what the issues of blood are? The answer is simple, it is defined in the Torah.

Just as Paul said in Romans 7:7, "I would not of known sin if not for the Law"

Rom 7:7 ...I would not have known sin except through the Law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the Law had said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."
​

So just as Paul could not define what covetousness was without the Torah, the things the Gentiles were told to abstain from could not be defined without the Torah. This is because we know in conclusion that just as 1 John 3:4 says sin itself is a transgression of the Torah, or God's Law.

1Jn 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
​

Once we understand this aspect, we can easily understand these versus in full context and understand what v21 is trying to say.

Act 15:21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."
​

As the Gentiles not being troubled by being overwhelmed by the Law, can come to God as they begin to abstain from sin one step at a time, because weekly they would end up hearing the Law of Moses being shared in the synagogues.



An outline of Acts 15 in it's truest form would be:

1. Gentiles should not be troubled with coming to God by being overwhelmed with commands. v19
2. Gentiles should begin their walk in rightouesness one step at a time, starting with abstaining from things polluted by idols, sexual immorality, things strangled and issues of blood. v20
3. Gentiles will end up hearing the Torah weekly at Shabbat services, thus learning the commands of God and learning to walk inline with His holiness and righteousness through the grace of Christ. v21

Thus, the end result would be the Gentiles would eventually learn that the Mighty One of Israel does not approve of mixing Pagan worship with true Worship. They would learn that worshiping the Almighty through festivals of pagan roots and not through His beautifully appointed Holy Day's is wrong and abominable to Him.



They would of eventually been taught Deuteronomy 12 & Jerimiah 10 which talks about not learning the pagan ways of worship and keeping God's true Holy Day's. Unfortunately, because of our culture and society and because we have has inherited much paganism of Babylon sun God worship from Constantine post 306 A.D. and many other sources and even to this day we practice such things as Christmas and Easter.

The Mighty one of Israel is restoring us to His true ways in these last days....

Regards,
fritz

Click to expand...

PaladinValer said:

Because I'm a Christian.



Well let's see...

The Bible says Jesus is the Messiah, who ushered in a New Covenant. The New Convenant which was by Grace, not by Law.

Christianity, or at least historic, classic, traditional, Nicene, orthodox Christianity has always taught that the ritual/holiness laws of the Torah were nailed to the cross along with Christ. He is our Sacrifice; He is our Offering. There need be no other.

The holy days and festivals of the Jews are gone. They are worthless because they are of the Law, not of Grace.

I'm not a Jew. I'm a Christian. You simply cannot be both, since both orthodox Judaism (orthodox here meaning right-teaching, not the Orthodox denomination) and orthodox Christianity both teach that a middle ground to be outside orthodoxy.



The Spirit of the Law, which is Grace, is for ever. NBot the letter of the Law and certainly not the obsolete ritual/holiness laws of the Jews. They are dead; the Bible makes that very clear.

I will eat all the shellfish I want.
I will wear all the polyesyer I want.
And women who are menstruating are not unclean.



Worthless feast and eisegesic interpretation.



Worthless feast and eisegesic interpretation.



This is Chiliasm, not Christianity.



The feasts are dead. Christ is our Feast; He is the Eternal Feast.

We have new feasts to celebrate the New Feast which is Jesus the Christ, YHVH Incarnate, such as:

1. The Nativity - His Birth
2. The Epiphany - The Opening of Salvation to the Gentiles.
3. Good (Holy) Friday - His Death
4. Pascha - His Resurrection
5. The Ascension - His return to heaven
6. Whitsunday - The Coming of the Holy Spirit and Birth of the Holy Church
7. The Transfiguration - His appearance of His True Being to the Apostles.

Of course, this is not meant to be exhaustive, but it offers some of the most important days on the Christian Kalendar.

Click to expand...

brideofYeshua said:

"and women who are menstruating are not unclean."

you may have said that to be sarcastic, or funny, but it's actually true. the Scripture does not say that women are unclean when menstruating, what it DOES say is that the ACT of menstruating is unclean. there is a difference.

Click to expand...

fritz300 said:

Do you have Scripture to support these claims, that they were all fulfilled by Christ?

Click to expand...

Rick Otto said:

"Ritualy" clean!

Click to expand...

Bon said:

What an excellent post.
I pray that everyone here take the time to read it.

Bon

Click to expand...

TraderJack said:

Tell us something.

When Christians celebrate the Advent of Christ into the world, exactly how are Christians practicing paganism?

Click to expand...

Rick Otto said:

What? And miss the spectacle?
How fondly I remember Midnight Mass... overtired, overstimulated, overcrowded... Everyone totaly decked & docked in their pews so tight the perfume & cologne aromas create a bouquet strong enough to induce a swoon... and right on time, as the room begins to spin

Click to expand...

sunlover1 said:

How bout hot buttered rum?
(I'm FREEZING over here)

Click to expand...

Hey, I get baptized in water by immersion at least once a week whether I need it or not.

Click to expand...

Tell us something.

When Christians celebrate the Advent of Christ into the world, exactly how are Christians practicing paganism?

Click to expand...

AllTalkNoAction said:

Nowhere does the bible say to celebrate Jesus' birth (and was it even the 25th Dec?

Click to expand...

tulc said:

That's a good question. Any takers?
tulc(has asked this in the threads about keeping the Sabbath before)

Click to expand...

tulc said:

tulc(ok, that was funny)

Click to expand...

mont974x4 said:

Christ work on the cross fulfilled the obligation of the Law.

Click to expand...

fritz300 said:

Absolutely!

Act 15:19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, ​

Act 15:20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. ​

Act 15:21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath." ​

These are some excellent versus to understand when talking about a Gentile believer coming to Christ and into the faith of the Mighty One of Israel. Clearly from the context we know that at this council meeting they've been debating what is necessary for a Gentile and what isn't as they receive the Messiah in their lives and begin the transformation of their lifestyles.

Anyone who has ever witnessed before knows that it is important not to overwhelm someone with information that would make it seem difficult to come into relationship with God, and clearly they were addressing this issue just as v19 says that 'we should not trouble those who are turning to God'


We see in v20 that they decided that the Gentiles must abstain from things:

• Polluted by idols
• Sexual Immorality
• Strangled Things
• Issues of Blood

This would give the Gentiles a simple set of commands and things that they should attempt to do to begin to walk and live a righteous lifestyle before the Lord.

We also know that these broad issues are more defined in detail in the Torah. How do we know what sexual immorality is? How do we know if something is polluted by idols? How do we know what the issues of blood are? The answer is simple, it is defined in the Torah.


Just as Paul said in Romans 7:7, "I would not of known sin if not for the Law"

Rom 7:7 ...I would not have known sin except through the Law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the Law had said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."​

So just as Paul could not define what covetousness was without the Torah, the things the Gentiles were told to abstain from could not be defined without the Torah. This is because we know in conclusion that just as 1 John 3:4 says sin itself is a transgression of the Torah, or God's Law.

1Jn 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. ​

Once we understand this aspect, we can easily understand these versus in full context and understand what v21 is trying to say.

Act 15:21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath." ​

As the Gentiles not being troubled by being overwhelmed by the Law, can come to God as they begin to abstain from sin one step at a time, because weekly they would end up hearing the Law of Moses being shared in the synagogues.



An outline of Acts 15 in it's truest form would be:

1. Gentiles should not be troubled with coming to God by being overwhelmed with commands. v19
2. Gentiles should begin their walk in rightouesness one step at a time, starting with abstaining from things polluted by idols, sexual immorality, things strangled and issues of blood. v20
3. Gentiles will end up hearing the Torah weekly at Shabbat services, thus learning the commands of God and learning to walk inline with His holiness and righteousness through the grace of Christ. v21

Thus, the end result would be the Gentiles would eventually learn that the Mighty One of Israel does not approve of mixing Pagan worship with true Worship. They would learn that worshiping the Almighty through festivals of pagan roots and not through His beautifully appointed Holy Day's is wrong and abominable to Him.



They would of eventually been taught Deuteronomy 12 & Jerimiah 10 which talks about not learning the pagan ways of worship and keeping God's true Holy Day's. Unfortunately, because of our culture and society and because we have has inherited much paganism of Babylon sun God worship from Constantine post 306 A.D. and many other sources and even to this day we practice such things as Christmas and Easter.

The Mighty one of Israel is restoring us to His true ways in these last days....

Regards,
fritz

Click to expand...