Greetings
This is quite long and I apologize in advance.
I am trying to discern some new information I have learned of recently.
Any biblical insight is much appreciated.
Over the course of this year, I have come across information from a book entitled "Fossilized Customs" by Lew White. This book has shattered my concept of the customs my family & I have participated in.
Birthday celebrations, Christmas and Easter all have roots in pagan practices from the time of Babylonia. Does anyone agree?
I am a Gentile believer in Yeshua and this year I have been studying our Jewish roots and history. We've attended a Messianic congregation and participated in the Passover Seder. Not because we have to according to the Law, but because we want to. And whatever Yeshua particpated in then that's what we want to do and vice-versa. We recognize all the Feasts that God ordained. However, still as a Gentile believer we were particpating in the "traditional" Christian holidays. Which according to this book, are all Babylonian in origin and were transferred by the Roman Catholic Church to Christian themes in an attempt to encourage worship of Yeshua but systematically removed all traces of Judiasm. However, I do not see any mention of Easter or Christmas festival/celebration, as we know them, in the Bible. There are mirrors of the Feasts, like Easter for Passover, etc, courtesy of the RCC. After reading this book and discovering the origin of these holidays and many of the other customs of our culture today I am very torn.
As a Gentile believer who has been grafted into the Vine, an adopted child of God, I also believe that we are called to be set apart and not to partake of the customs of this world. Jeremiah 10 says "Do not learn the ways of the nations....for the customs of the peoples are worthless." Then, an actual custom of cutting a tree and decorating it is described (a Christmas tree). This is a direct reference NOT to have a Christmas tree. There are many admonitions to NOT partake in the rituals of the peoples of which G-D drove from the land (Irsrael).
So now I am struggling with letting go of these rituals I have partaken of for 32 years. In an effort to celebrate the Feasts of the Bible, we have looked into Hannakah (sp). Not as a substitute but to learn and teach our children the ways of the L-RD. Is this correct? Is this Festival a Biblical Festival? There is only 1 NT reference, John 10:22. Yeshua was at the temple during the Festival of Dedication.... Does this make it acceptable to G-d to celebrate this feast, because the Messiah was at the Festival? I know the historial account is in the Book of Maccabees, but I don't have a Catholic Bible. Was this His way of condoning the Festival?
My main goal is to do the will of G-d. I want to love Him with all my heart, mind, soul and might and to love others as myself. The 2 greatest commandments. Now that I know of the orgins of many of our customs, I feel like to participate would be willful disobedience and quite honestly I would rather pass on that discipline. What I have discovered makes me sad that most believers are in the dark about his or simply refuse to acknowledge. The few people I have tried to tell are adamatly disinterested.
Help me please.
I am so confused.
"Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." Ecclesiatstes 1:17,18.
My sediments exactly.
G-d bless you for your godly insight.
His Grace & Peace,
Transformed by Grace
This is quite long and I apologize in advance.
I am trying to discern some new information I have learned of recently.
Any biblical insight is much appreciated.
Over the course of this year, I have come across information from a book entitled "Fossilized Customs" by Lew White. This book has shattered my concept of the customs my family & I have participated in.
Birthday celebrations, Christmas and Easter all have roots in pagan practices from the time of Babylonia. Does anyone agree?
I am a Gentile believer in Yeshua and this year I have been studying our Jewish roots and history. We've attended a Messianic congregation and participated in the Passover Seder. Not because we have to according to the Law, but because we want to. And whatever Yeshua particpated in then that's what we want to do and vice-versa. We recognize all the Feasts that God ordained. However, still as a Gentile believer we were particpating in the "traditional" Christian holidays. Which according to this book, are all Babylonian in origin and were transferred by the Roman Catholic Church to Christian themes in an attempt to encourage worship of Yeshua but systematically removed all traces of Judiasm. However, I do not see any mention of Easter or Christmas festival/celebration, as we know them, in the Bible. There are mirrors of the Feasts, like Easter for Passover, etc, courtesy of the RCC. After reading this book and discovering the origin of these holidays and many of the other customs of our culture today I am very torn.
As a Gentile believer who has been grafted into the Vine, an adopted child of God, I also believe that we are called to be set apart and not to partake of the customs of this world. Jeremiah 10 says "Do not learn the ways of the nations....for the customs of the peoples are worthless." Then, an actual custom of cutting a tree and decorating it is described (a Christmas tree). This is a direct reference NOT to have a Christmas tree. There are many admonitions to NOT partake in the rituals of the peoples of which G-D drove from the land (Irsrael).
So now I am struggling with letting go of these rituals I have partaken of for 32 years. In an effort to celebrate the Feasts of the Bible, we have looked into Hannakah (sp). Not as a substitute but to learn and teach our children the ways of the L-RD. Is this correct? Is this Festival a Biblical Festival? There is only 1 NT reference, John 10:22. Yeshua was at the temple during the Festival of Dedication.... Does this make it acceptable to G-d to celebrate this feast, because the Messiah was at the Festival? I know the historial account is in the Book of Maccabees, but I don't have a Catholic Bible. Was this His way of condoning the Festival?
My main goal is to do the will of G-d. I want to love Him with all my heart, mind, soul and might and to love others as myself. The 2 greatest commandments. Now that I know of the orgins of many of our customs, I feel like to participate would be willful disobedience and quite honestly I would rather pass on that discipline. What I have discovered makes me sad that most believers are in the dark about his or simply refuse to acknowledge. The few people I have tried to tell are adamatly disinterested.
Help me please.
I am so confused. "Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." Ecclesiatstes 1:17,18.
My sediments exactly.
G-d bless you for your godly insight.
His Grace & Peace,
Transformed by Grace
